COVID-19 personality types: what society learns from COVID - Big Think

COVID-19 personality types: what society learns from COVID - Big Think

There are 16 different COVID-19 personality types, and they include the following:

1. Deniers — Individuals who downplay the viral threat and promote a kind of "business as usual" lifestyle.
2. Spreaders — Individuals who believe spreading the virus could actually be positive. These are individuals who believe in "herd immunity" and that passing the virus around will eventually allow things to return to normal.
3. Harmers — Individuals who intentionally attempt to harm others by spreading the virus (via coughing or spitting, not wearing masks, licking various public surfaces, etc.).
4. Realists — Individuals who recognize the reality (and potential harm) of spreading the virus and attempt to adjust their behaviors to not spread the virus.
5. Worriers — Individuals who stay informed and safe to manage their uncertainty and fear. These are also individuals who will have a lot of anxiety over the current state of the virus at all times.
6. Contemplators — Individuals who have taken "quarantine times" to isolate and reflect on their own lives. These are individuals who may attempt to better themselves (focusing on new hobbies or skills) during times of isolation.
7. Hoarders — Individuals who panic-buy and hoard products (such as toilet paper) in an attempt to quell their panic and worry over the spreading of the virus.
8. Invincibles — Individuals who believe themselves to be immune to the virus. These are also individuals who claim a kind of "if I get sick, I get sick" kind of attitude, not taking time to reflect on the idea that they could be carriers of the virus, spreading it to others.
9. Rebels — Individuals who defiantly ignore social distancing measures and various other rules put into place to protect the general public.
10. Blamers — Those who fault others for their fears and frustrations.
11. Exploiters — Those who attempt to exploit the current situation (taking advantage of vulnerable people/situations) for power, profit, or brutality.
12. Innovators — Individuals who attempt to design or repurposes resources in an attempt to fight the pandemic and contribute to society.
13. Supporters — Individuals who show support and solidarity to others around them in regards to fending off the virus or supporting loved ones.
14. Altruists — Individuals who help the vulnerable, elderly, and isolated.
15. Warriors — Individuals (such as front-line support workers and health care workers) who combat COVID-19 on the front lines, facing the harsh and grim realities of a global pandemic on a larger scale.
16. Veterans — Individuals who have experienced a previous pandemic (such as SARS or MERS) and willingly comply with restrictions.
    

According to Lam and her research, recognizing various COVID-19 identities can refine forecasts of SARS-CoV-2 transmission and impact. These viral identities can reflect values, social identities, situational contexts, and risk tolerances. Lam suggests that to forecast viral transmission within populations (accounting for different responses), these identified viral behaviors can be clustered by their "compliance" efforts.

1. Non-compilers are individuals who fall into the following categories: Deniers, Harmers, Invincibles, and Rebels.
2. Partial compliers would be individuals who fall into the categories of: Spreaders, Blamers, and Exploiters.
3. Compliers would be individuals who are in the categories of Realists, Worriers, Contemplators, Hoarders, Innovators, Supporters, Altruists, Warriors, and Veterans.