COVID-19: A Political Reading of the Fear of Infection

How can we explain the fear of coronavirus infection from socio-political elements? In this study, we hold that the fear of infection has two dimensions: the first is health related, a natural reaction to a threat to the health of people and falls outside the scope of this study. The second has a socio-political nature as a reaction to the management of the pandemic and its consequences for the social well-being of citizens. This latter dimension will be the focus of our study. Using the survey ‘Study on the Spanish Perception of the Management of the COVID-19’ conducted by the Team of Political Research during the most critical moments of the pandemic, we consider that the personal economic perspectives for the future and the political management of COVID-19 have a direct effect on the fear of infection.