The Psychology of the Pandemic Panic
18th March 2020
By: Oscar Johnson
Coronavirus or COVID-19 has been all over the news for quite some time now, and although at first it was a relief to go an evening without hearing about Brexit, concern about COVID-19 has been increasing. With concern comes panic and how does panic manifest itself in society? Well, with toilet roll entirely out of stock and 1500ml of hand soap selling on eBay for over £1,199.
Charlene Chan, Consumer Psychologist explains that when something that causes distress or panic occurs, like Coronavirus, we experience a loss of control. This puts us in a “problem-solving mindset”. Then in order to protect ourselves we try to restore as much control as possible. An illness, such as Coronavirus, can feel extremely hard to protect yourself from. Panic buying supplies of functional products, such as loo roll and soap, can resolve a certain few issues in our environment and therefore make us feel like we are more in control.
We also look to other people’s reactions as a reference point for how we should behave. With social media it has become possible to open a window that seemingly looks into the lives of those around us. This meant that the reference point has been empty shelves and stocking up as much as possible. Social media has therefore amplified this chain reaction of buying as many supplies as you can carry.
I went on holiday to Rome early this month and it was empty. Although the distinct lack of any queueing was lovely, it was a shame to see the city suffering due to the panic. Rome had had no outbreak, no cases that were not handled immediately and less cases than many places near me in the UK. However, the man who ran our AirBnB had everyone cancelling, our taxi driver who ran his own business was worried because of the lack of customers and restaurants were lowering their prices because no-one was there. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t be concerned, despite being symptomless I’ve avoided people and stayed at home for a week but COVID-19 isn’t the end of the world and so we shouldn’t feel like we need to fight our way to some toilet roll.
Things may get worse before they get better but for now handwashing regularly is sufficient and there is no need to panic, stock up or avoid the outdoors. Now will be a good time to practise being kind. Check on those around you like your neighbours and especially those who may be higher risk, such as the elderly. See if they need a hand with the shopping as this is a scary time to venture out the house for some. Maybe lend some loo roll or share some soap because the panic will pass and the shops will restock and life will continue.
Ref – https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3csy7fn