A brief analysis of response-cost factors and of the use of safety equipment in preventing COVID-19 spread

Resumo

Recently, the world is dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, something that has changed daily routines and requires us to take more careful security measures, such as using safety equipment. However, using safety equipment is not an everyday behavior, and both access and correct use can be an effortful task for the general public. This paper briefly explores some of the response-cost factors regarding the use of safety equipment in preventing COVID-19 spread. We propose that the manipulation of response-cost factors can affect the probability of the use of safety equipment. Nevertheless, response-cost is only one of several aspects (e.g., cultural aspects) involved in the use of safety equipment. Further research could extend and test the suggestions we make and propose other aspects that should be analyzed. We hope that understanding the response-costs factors involved in preventive behavior can contribute to public-policy planning and  increase the daily use of safety equipment, and  decrease the probability of transmission during health hazards such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords:  COVID-19; response cost; public health; pandemic