Newsweek: A panic spreading from a SK infection spreads faster than a virus

A report published by Newsweek magazine says that the outbreak of the Corona epidemic is spreading faster than the virus itself.

Jack Depic - an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and an associate professor at the Institute of Partial and Behavioral Neurosciences at the University of Michigan - said in his report in the journal that with the global spread and the immediate nature of modern media, fear infections spread to people faster than the virus itself, and that Watching or hearing another person afraid makes you feel fear too, without necessarily knowing the reason for that person's fear.

"As a psychiatrist and researcher who studies the mechanisms of the brain's work related to community emotional regulation, I am fully aware of the severity of fear infections," the author adds.

People are affected by the panic or fear that arises in their peers, and humans are programmed to reveal other people's reactions to survival. And he adds that experimental studies have determined the part responsible in the brain for this ability in humans, which is called the anterior cingulate cortex; thus when you see another person frightened, your cortex lights up.

Fear infection
Fear infection occurs automatically and unconsciously, making it really difficult to control it. This phenomenon explains the collective panic attacks that can occur during concerts, sporting events or other public gatherings.

Once fear arouses a crowd (after hearing gunshots) there is no time or opportunity to verify the danger; fear passes from one person to another, and everyone starts running to save their lives. Too often, this collective panic ends in tragedy.

Fear infection does not require direct physical contact with others, but the media, through horrific pictures and information, can spread fear very effectively.

He adds that there is no way to prevent the transmission of fear infections; it is a social phenomenon that occurs spontaneously and unconsciously, but one can do something to reduce it.

Safety information
In addition to information about fear, information about social safety can also be passed on. Studies have found that having a calm and confident person may help to overcome acquired fear by noticing others.

For example, a child who is frightened by a strange animal will calm down in the event of a quiet adult. This type of safety model will be especially effective when one's eyes are on someone close to him, or someone who depends on him, such as the person caring for him or someone in power.

He adds that the words must match the verbs, when you say to people that there is no need for a person to wear a protective face mask, and at the same time display pictures of individuals who are scanning the virus while wearing suits of dangerous substances, this leads to adverse results, where people will go and buy face masks because they They see figures in power wearing masks.

But words are also important: information about danger and safety must be presented clearly, with clear instructions on what to do.

He concludes by saying that withholding important facts or lying increases uncertainty, and that increasing uncertainty increases fears and anxieties.