Changes in risk perception and self-reported protective behaviour during the first week of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States

Author:

Wise Toby123ORCID,Zbozinek Tomislav D.1,Michelini Giorgia4,Hagan Cindy C.1,Mobbs Dean15

Affiliation:

1. Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA

2. Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, UK

3. Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, UK

4. Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA

5. Computational Neural Systems Program, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA

Abstract

Efforts to change behaviour are critical in minimizing the spread of highly transmissible pandemics such as COVID-19. However, it is unclear whether individuals are aware of disease risk and alter their behaviour early in the pandemic. We investigated risk perception and self-reported engagement in protective behaviours in 1591 United States-based individuals cross-sectionally and longitudinally over the first week of the pandemic. Subjects demonstrated growing awareness of risk and reported engaging in protective behaviours with increasing frequency but underestimated their risk of infection relative to the average person in the country. Social distancing and hand washing were most strongly predicted by the perceived probability of personally being infected. However, a subgroup of individuals perceived low risk and did not engage in these behaviours. Our results highlight the importance of risk perception in early interventions during large-scale pandemics.

Funder

National Institute of Mental Health

Chen Institute

Wellcome Trust

National Science Foundation

Publisher

The Royal Society

Subject

Multidisciplinary

Reference29 articles.

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2. CDC. 2020 Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the U.S. [Internet]. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. See https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/cases-in-us.html (accessed 19 March 2020).

3. WHO. 2020 Director-General's opening remarks at the media briefing on COVID-19–11 March 2020 [Internet]. See https://www.who.int/dg/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing-on-covid-19---11-march-2020 (accessed 19 March 2020).

4. COVID-19 reports | Faculty of Medicine | Imperial College London [Internet]. See https://www.imperial.ac.uk/mrc-global-infectious-disease-analysis/news--wuhan-coronavirus/ (accessed 17 March 2020).

5. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19): The epidemic and the challenges

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