Stress as a meaningful variable in models of covid-19 spreading (preprint)

ABSTRACT

Covid-19 is a respiratory disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus – 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which was first identified in Wuhan China in December 2019. Because of Covid-19 worldwide spreading in 2020, urgent hygiene and lockdown measures have been implemented with fundamental consequences on the lives of people in all sectors of society. Besides visible socio-economic and documented health effects, the impact of Covid-19 on people’s mental health including stress-related effects on disease spreading remains yet to be addressed. Here, we argue about the relevance of incorporating stress factors into models of covid-19 spreading and the level of detail in which such models should take stress into consideration.