Covidiot - what are the features and characteristics?

When COVID-19 first became a global pandemic, people struggled to keep up with the new normal. It taught us a lot of new things over the past 6 months. Hand sanitizers and respirator masks became hot commodities, our home couch became our office space and we became masters of video conferencing. We also learned a lot of new terms along the way like social distancing and heebie-jeebies. However, the latest term that has come to the fore is the term ‘covidiot’.

What is ‘covidiot’?

According to the Macmillan dictionary, the term ‘covidiot’ is an insulting term for someone who ignores health advice about Covid-19 or hoards food unnecessarily.

Basically, the word ‘covidiot’ is a combination of the words, ‘COVID-19’ and ‘idiot’. a covidiot is someone who doesn’t take COVID-19 and the risks of the virus seriously, despite what the global health community says. A covidiot would also behave selfishly when it comes to slowing down and stopping the spread of coronavirus. The term covidiot sprang out of nowhere and became popular when some social media users posted photos of people who stubbornly ignored the social distancing protocols.

How can you identify a covidiot and who qualifies as one?

According to experts, you can easily identify a Covidiot if you closely look at how they behave. Here are a few behaviors that a covidiot would exhibit.

1. They tend to be in Denial:

People in denial often claim that the virus doesn’t exist or that it is just a media hoax. A covidiot may claim that the coronavirus is not as bad as the media projects it be. Such individuals cannot grasp the dangers of getting a coronavirus infection. This way they put others at risk too.

2. They think that the virus is less powerful than them:

A covidiot may tend to think that he or she is immune to the coronavirus or won’t get seriously ill with the virus. Such individuals have a mindset that the virus is less powerful than them. As a result, they continue to ignore safety measures. This behavior is dangerous because they may get infected, pass the virus along, and give it to someone who may even die from it.

3. They think that they are rebels:

Some people think that they are rebels and they just want to be nonconformists and rebel against societal norms. This makes them rebel against wearing masks and practicing social distancing. This rebelling mindset may be acceptable for other issues but certainly not now when we are in the middle of the pandemic. A covidiot is prone to possessing a rebellious nature.

4. A covidiot may always be anxious:

A certain segment of the population tends to be always anxious and participate in more extreme behavior. They will be so anxious and concerned about coronavirus. This may promote negative behaviours and eventually lead a covidiot into denial that the virus doesn’t exist.

5. A covidiot is prone to being selfish:

A covidiot will be more concerned about his or her selfish gratifications than the good of the larger society. Such individuals may hoard foods, denying them from the needy people, and exhibit all kinds of selfish behaviour in times of crisis. They would also be impulsive at times, like throwing a huge party or going out if they have symptoms.

The coronavirus pandemic has added another new term to the dictionary. But this doesn’t mean that you have to be an example of it. So, try not to be a covidiot and look out for the greater good when it comes to saving the world from a deadly disease.

Read more:Ayurveda for coronavirus

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