David DeSteno:

No, by no means.

You know, there is clearly a reason for fear and anxiety right now. The problem is, a lot of us don't think like virologists or epidemiologists and have the information at hand.

And so that gives more room for our fear to fill in the blank. So, for example, when you feel fear, it makes anything that seems threatening more likely to happen. So, if I sneeze and I feel afraid, one sneeze, I'm much more likely to believe that's due to coronavirus.

And the more I think about it, the more opportunities there are to fill in the blanks. Hmm. Was I really six feet away from that guy who was in the store next to me today?

And so yes, please do what Dr. Fauci says. There is reason for concern. Seek medical treatment if you have it. But I think what we're getting into is a spiral of fear that is leading people to engage in responses that aren't very helpful.