COVID-19
Definition
COVID-19 refers to a respiratory infectious disease caused by a novel coronavirus that has spread rapidly through global populations, often via asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic but infectious hosts, and continues to cause substantial morbidity and mortality. Prevention of COVID-19 infection and associated morbidity and mortality remains the core of pandemic control, requiring voluntary, widespread, and sustained behavior change including social distancing, face mask utilization, COVID-19 testing, acceptance of vaccination and booster vaccination, and self-isolation and antiviral treatment if infected and at risk for complications.
Sources: Fisher & Fisher (2023)
Related Terms
Applications
COVID-19 and Vaccination
Vaccine uptake remains uneven and often inadequate within and across countries and populations. Public health responses to COVID-19 have not been optimally effective in part due to their relatively rare and fragmented use of well-tested behavioral science models of prevention behavior change.
Sources: Fisher & Fisher (2023)
COVID-19 and Behavior Change
Containing and curtailing the COVID-19 pandemic requires sustained health behavior change on multiple levels, with preventive behaviors including social distancing, face mask utilization, testing, vaccination acceptance, and self-isolation. Public health responses to COVID-19 have not been optimally effective in part due to their relatively rare and fragmented use of well-tested behavioral science models of prevention behavior change, with comprehensive, multivariate, theory-based, and rigorously evaluated health behavior change approaches articulated to COVID-19 prevention remaining essential.
Sources: Fisher & Fisher (2023)
