A substantial body of research has illuminated psychological adaptations motivating pathogen avoidance—mechanisms collectively known as the behavioral immune system. Can knowledge about these mechanisms inform how people respond to widespread disease outbreaks, such as the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic? We review evidence suggesting that the evolutionary history of the behavioral immune system, and the cues that activate it, are distinct in many ways from modern human experiences with pandemics.
