Mike Hoerger, PhD MSCR MBA Profile picture
Dec 20, 2023 10 tweets 8 min read Read on X
As a clinical health psychologist, I notice that many people are using psychological defense mechanisms to downplay the risk of COVID.

These are my Top 7 examples:

🧵 Top 7 Psychological Defense Mechanisms Used to Downplay COVID
#1 – Denial – Pretending a problem does not exist to provide artificial relief from anxiety.

Examples:

“During COVID” or “During the pandemic” (past tense)

“The pandemic is over”

“Covid is mild”

“It’s gotten milder”

“Covid is now like a cold or the flu”

“Masks don’t work anyway”

“Covid is NOT airborne”

“Pandemic of the unvaccinated”

“Schools are safe”

“Children don’t transmit COVID”

“Covid is mild in young people”

“Summer flu”

“I’m sick but it’s not Covid”

Taking a rapid test only once

Using self-reported case estimates (25x underestimate) rather than wastewater-derived case estimation

Using hospitalization capacity estimates to enact public health precautions (lagging indicator)

Citing mortality estimates rather than excess mortality estimates. Citing excess mortality without adjusting for survivorship bias.This is from a psychology book by Nancy McWilliams. I will post a link to a PDF of newer edition of the full book at the end of the thread. If someone has a better "ALT" trick, please educate me on this one.
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#2 – Projection – When someone takes what they are feeling and attempts to put it on someone else to artificially reduce their own anxiety.

Examples:

“Stop living in fear.” (the attacker is living in fear)

“You can take your mask off.” (they are insecure about being unmasked themselves)

“When are you going to stop masking?”

“You can’t live in fear forever.”This is from a psychology book by Nancy McWilliams. I will post a link to a PDF of newer edition of the full book at the end of the thread. If someone has a better "ALT" trick, please educate me on this one.
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#3 – Displacement – When someone takes their pandemic anxiety and redirects their discomfort toward someone or something else.

Examples:

Angry, seemingly inexplicable outbursts by co-workers, strangers, or family

White affluent people caring less about the pandemic after learning that it disproportionately affects lower-socioeconomic status people of color

Scapegoating based on vaccination status, masking behavior, etc.

“Pandemic of the unvaccinated”

Vax and relax

“How many of them were vaccinated?” (troll comment on Covid deaths or long Covid)

Redirecting anxiety about mitigating a highly-contagious airborne virus by encouraging people to do simple ineffective mitigation like handwashing

“You do you” (complainers are the problem, not Covid)

Telling people to get vaccinated or take other precautions against the flu or RSV but not mentioning Covid

Parents artificially reducing their own anxiety by placing children in poorly mitigated environments

Clinicians artificially reducing their own anxiety by placing patients in poorly mitigated environments

Housework to distract from stress

Peer pressure not to maskThis is from a psychology book by Nancy McWilliams. I will post a link to a PDF of newer edition of the full book at the end of the thread. If someone has a better "ALT" trick, please educate me on this one.
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#4 – Compartmentalization – Holding two conflicting ideas or behaviors, such as caution and incaution, rather than dealing with the anxiety evoked by considering the incautious behaviors more deeply (hypocrisy)

Hospitals and clinicians claim to value health/safety but then don’t require universal precautions

Public health officials claim to value evidence but then give non-evidence based advice (handwashing over masking), obscure or use low-value data over high-quality data (self-reported case counts over wastewater), etc.

Getting a flu vaccine but not a Covid vaccine

Interviewing long Covid experts who recommend masking in indoor public spaces but then going to Applebee’s

Masking in one potentially risky setting (grocery store) but not masking in another similar or more-risky setting (classroom)

Infectious disease conference where people are unmasked

Long Covid and other patient-advocacy meetings where only half the people mask

In-person only EDI events

Not testing because it’s just family

Mask breaksThis is from a psychology book by Nancy McWilliams. I will post a link to a PDF of newer edition of the full book at the end of the thread. If someone has a better "ALT" trick, please educate me on this one.
#5 – Reaction formation – expressing artificial positive feelings when actually experiencing anxiety

“It’s good I got my infection out of the way before the holidays”

“I had Covid but it was mild”

Anything quoted in Dr. Jonathan Howard’s book, “We Want Them Infected: How the Failed Quest for Herd Immunity Led Doctors to Embrace Anti-Vaccine Movement”

Herd immunity (infections help)

Hybrid immunity (infections help)

“It’s okay because I was recently vaccinated”

“Omicron is milder”

“Textbook virus”

“Building immunity”This is from a psychology book by Nancy McWilliams. I will post a link to a PDF of newer edition of the full book at the end of the thread. If someone has a better "ALT" trick, please educate me on this one.
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#6 – Rationalization – Artificially reducing Covid anxiety through a weak justification.

Examples:

“I didn’t mask but I used nasal spray”

“I don’t need to mask because I was recently vaccinated”

“It finally got me.”

“You’re going to get Covid again and again and again over your life.”

“It’s not Covid because I don’t have a sore throat.”

“It’s not Covid because I took a rapid test 3 days ago.”

“It’s not Covid because I’m vaccinated.”

“Airplanes have excellent ventilation.”

“I’ve had Covid three times. It’s mild.”

“Verily was cheaper.”

“Nobody else is masking.”

“Nobody else is testing.”

“My roommates don’t take any precautions, so there’s no point in me either.”

“I have a large family, so there’s no point in taking precautions.”

Surgical masks (they are actual “procedure masks,” by the way)

Various pseudo-scientific treatments used by the left and right

Handwashing as the primary Covid public health recommendation

Droplet transmission as a thing

Public health guidance that begins with “data shows” (sic)

Risk maps that never turn deep red

5 expired rapid tests

“Masks recommended” instead of universal precautions

“Seasonal”This is from a psychology book by Nancy McWilliams. I will post a link to a PDF of newer edition of the full book at the end of the thread. If someone has a better "ALT" trick, please educate me on this one.
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#7 – Intellectualization – using extensive cognitive arguments to artificially circumvent Covid anxiety

Examples:

Unending threads to justify indoor dining

Data-rich public health dashboards that use low-quality metrics and/or don’t change public health recommendations as risk increases

The entire justification for “off-ramps”

Oster, Wen, Prasad

Schools denying air cleaners because it “could make children anxious”

Schools not rapid testing this surge because it “could make children anxious”

The mental gymnastics underlying the rationales for who can get vaccinated, how frequently, or with what brand

Service workers told not to mask because it could make clients uncomfortable

“What comorbidities did they have?”

“The vulnerable will fall by the wayside”

Musicians and others holding large indoor events

5-day isolation periodsThis is from a psychology book by Nancy McWilliams. I will post a link to a PDF of newer edition of the full book at the end of the thread. If someone has a better "ALT" trick, please educate me on this one.
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Here's a link to the full book, a newer edition than what I own. The information on defense mechanisms begins on textbook page 100.

Please let me know if there's a more accessible alt-text solution that you would prefer so I can do better next time.
isotis.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/mcwill…

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More from @michael_hoerger

Sep 16
PMC COVlD Report, Sep 15, 2025 (U.S.)
🧵1/7

COVlD-19 levels are "Very High" or "High" in the majority of states, per the CDC.

This includes 27 states & D.C.

🔥🔥Very High:
Alaska, Hawai'i, California, Nevada, Idaho, Utah, S. Dakota, Nebraska, Texas, Louisiana, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Florida, S. Carolina, N. Carolina, D.C., Maryland, and Connecticut.

🔥High:
Washington state, Oregon, Montana, probably N. Dakota (imputed), Arkansas, Alabama, Virginia, Delaware, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts.

PMC estimates 1 in 38 people (2.7%) are actively infectious. Wastewater-derived case estimates suggest 1.3 million new daily infections.Heat map using CDC levels. Key findings summarized in the post.
PMC COVlD Report, Sep 15, 2025 (U.S.)
🧵2/7

Transmission is peaking nationally, but regional variation is common. Know what's happening in your state, and get the word out.

Note that the levels CDC calls "low" are still quite alarming.State | CDC Level | PMC Estimate, % Actively Infectious Alabama	High	1 in 30 (3.4%) Alaska	Very High	1 in 22 (4.6%) Arizona	Moderate	1 in 40 (2.5%) Arkansas	High	1 in 28 (3.6%) California	Very High	1 in 21 (4.8%) Colorado	Moderate	1 in 50 (2.0%) Connecticut	Very High	1 in 19 (5.3%) Delaware	High	1 in 33 (3.0%) District of Columbia	Very High	1 in 17 (6.0%) Florida	Very High	1 in 24 (4.2%) Georgia	Moderate	1 in 46 (2.2%) Guam	Low	1 in 64 (1.6%) Hawaii	Very High	1 in 26 (3.8%) Idaho	Very High	1 in 14 (7.3%) Illinois	Moderate	1 in 44 (2.3%) Indiana	Very High	1 in 16 (6.1%) Iowa	Moderate	1 in 40...
PMC COVlD Report, Sep 15, 2025 (U.S.)
🧵3/7

Note that transmission is increasingly spreading from the South & West toward other areas. Know your state-level risk.

Transmission remains alarming even in areas CDC labels "Very Low" (e.g., Missouri, estimated 1 in 109). State | CDC Level | PMC Estimate, % Actively Infectious Missouri	Very Low	1 in 109 (0.9%) Montana	High	1 in 36 (2.8%) Nebraska	Very High	1 in 18 (5.5%) Nevada	Very High	1 in 17 (5.9%) New Hampshire	Low	1 in 64 (1.6%) New Jersey	Moderate	1 in 56 (1.8%) New Mexico	Very Low	1 in 106 (0.9%) New York	Low	1 in 73 (1.4%) North Carolina	Very High	1 in 17 (5.8%) North Dakota	High*	1 in 32 (3.2%) Ohio	Moderate	1 in 47 (2.1%) Oklahoma	Moderate*	1 in 44 (2.3%) Oregon	High	1 in 31 (3.2%) Pennsylvania	Moderate	1 in 44 (2.3%) Rhode Island	High	1 in 30 (3.3%) South Carolina	Very High	1 in 15 (6.6%) South D...
Read 7 tweets
Sep 13
California COVlD Surge Rages Higher

🔸CDC SARS-CoV-2 wastewater levels "Very High," and up from last week
🔸1 in 21 estimated actively infectious
🔸>250,000 estimated new daily infections statewide

Four figures...
1/4🧵 CDC: Very High: PMC Estimate: 1 in 21 actively infectious
CDC wastewater data in California show COVlD cases increasing from the already "Very High" levels last week.

2/4🧵 Line graph of the past 6 months showing the surge in wastewater viral levels
With an estimated 1 in 21 (or 4.8%) of California residents actively infectious of COVlD, risk increases dramatically in larger and more frequent social gatherings.

Interact with 25 people of average risk of being positive, and that's a >70% chance of exposure.
3/4🧵 How Does Risk Increase with More Social Contacts? Number of People | Chances Anyone is Infectious 1	4.8% 2	9.4% 3	13.7% 4	17.9% 5	21.8% 6	25.6% 7	29.1% 8	32.5% 9	35.8% 10	38.9% 15	52.2% 20	62.6% 25	70.8% 30	77.1% 35	82.1% 40	86.0% 50	91.5% 75	97.5% 100	99.3% 300	99.9%
Read 4 tweets
Sep 10
Let's say you're a dairy farmer. You have 100 cows. Each year, about 5 cows die, and another 5 cows are born. Then, along comes a virus. Let's call it "cowvid"...
1/
Let's say "cowvid" wipes out about half the cows over the course of a couple years. Now, you're down to 50 cows....
2/
The local mayor declares "cowvid" to be over. This surprises you as a farmer because 5 of your cows keep dying annually. 5 of 50 instead of 5 out of 100. Seems like more, but you're not a city slicker...
3/
Read 12 tweets
Sep 7
#DuringCOVID is today.

Image pack 1 of 9 🧵 Graph of the 11 waves of the pandemic in the U.S., tailored to a key message noted in the post.
1 million New Daily Infections.

Today!

Image pack 2 of 9 🧵 Graph of the 11 waves of the pandemic in the U.S., tailored to a key message noted in the post.
Where are the free vaccines, N95s, and tests?

Image pack 3 of 9 🧵 Graph of the 11 waves of the pandemic in the U.S., tailored to a key message noted in the post.
Read 9 tweets
Sep 3
PMC Dashboard Update (U.S.) 🧵1 of 8

The 11th wave is still rising.
🔥23 states/territories High/Very High
🔥Very High: Alabama, DC, Guam, Hawai'i, Louisiana, Nebraska, Nevada, South Carolina, Texas, Utah
🔥1 in 56 estimated actively infectious
🔥876,000 new daily infections CDC heat map, very high states noted in post. PMC estimate of 1 in 56 actively infectious nationwide
PMC Dashboard Update (U.S.) 🧵2 of 8

Note that the CDC has modified 📉 how transmission levels correspond to the categorical bins.

Take California. We estimate 1 in 30 actively infectious statewide. This would have previously been "Very High," now just "High."
#NewNormal CDC heatmap, with PMC estimate of 1 in 30
PMC Dashboard Update (U.S.) 🧵3 of 8

Here are the prevalence estimates for the first half of states/territories.

Notice how high the levels are in some of the "Moderate" states. State	CDC Level Alabama	Very High Alaska	High Arizona	High Arkansas	Moderate California	High Colorado	Moderate Connecticut	High Delaware	High District of Columbia	Very High Florida	High Georgia	Moderate Guam	Very High Hawaii	Very High Idaho	High Illinois	Very Low Indiana	Moderate* Iowa	Low Kansas	Low Kentucky	High Louisiana	Very High Maine	Low Maryland	Moderate Massachusetts	Moderate Michigan	Very Low Minnesota	Moderate Mississippi	High*
Read 9 tweets
Aug 21
During times like these when COVlD transmission heats up in the U.S., expect to see a lot more angry outbursts for three central reasons.

First, "displacement," or people trying to deny the reality of their anxiety by taking it out on other people....
Second, a lot of people can sustain a strong denial of reality about the ongoing pandemic during lulls. They suppress the existence of COVlD waves and excess deaths, disability, and retirements.

During waves, those defenses burst. Loss of control = anger...
Third, a lot of people (many reading this) understand COVlD correctly & experience righteous indignation during COVlD waves. We quite reasonably do not like all of the unjust and gratuitous suffering.

I find it helpful to channel that intensity into helping other people....
Read 6 tweets

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