Shut-ins

Millions of people continue to curtail work and social activities for fear of COVID and they apparently have no plans to change their behavior.

NYTimes: Throughout the pandemic, many people in the United States desperately hoped for an end to mask wearing, isolation from friends and co-workers, and six feet of social distance. Others not so much.

In fact, new research suggests, millions have no intention of ending some pandemic behaviors even if the threat from the coronavirus and its variants were to fully subside.

Roughly 13 percent of people in the study reported that they did not intend to change their protective behaviors, like avoiding elevators, mass transit and eating indoors at restaurants.

As Nick Bloom, one of the researchers, puts it this is long social distancing a psychological version of long COVID.

The original research from Jose Maria Barrero, Nicholas Bloom & Steven J. Davis is here.