Predictors of guideline adherence, mask use, and COVID-19 symptoms during the first U.S. case surge

What is it about?

Using a prospective design of a U.S. sample from March, 2020 to May, 2020, intentions to follow preventive guidelines, greater liberal political views, and greater preventive guideline adherence predicted more frequent mask wearing. Lower emotional stability, lower overall self-rated health, and being female predicted greater COVID-19 symptoms.

Featured Image

Why is it important?

The results show how inconsistencies and politicization of health policy communication coincided with the effects of individual-level political beliefs on mask-wearing during the initial case surge. The results further clarify how personality traits related to social responsibility (i.e., agreeableness, conscientiousness) are associated with following new norms for prescribed behaviors and how symptom reporting can be as much a marker of perceived health as emotional stability.