Counting Viruses and Magic Counting A Contribution to Understanding the Psychological Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic

ABSTRACT

The emotional and psychological dimensions of the Covid-19 pandemic would have to be further examined, especially by scholars equipped to explain the psychosocial impact of this situation on individuals and communities. The paper discusses a specific secondary effect of the public health communication system informing on the spread of the disease through statistics and numbers. For the strategic communicators to appropriately frame their key messages, understanding the variety of ways by which people may be affected not only physically, but also psychologically, by the provided data during a global health crisis is of outmost importance and would support the correct responses and adjustments to mitigate the inevitable anxiety. The comparison of the "mathematical" display of the pandemic with the rhetorical trope of "counting" present in a charm-type offers a fresh perspective on how disease is conceived and alleviated in different historical times, and how collective fears may have a strong impact on preventive behavior and resilience.