Go Corona Go! Cultural beliefs and social norms in India during COVID-19

Abstract

As of April 2020, it had been nearly 100 days since the first COVID-19 case was found in India, and a 3-week lockdown across the country was enforced to implement social distancing as a measure to contain the spread of the virus. India has combated a few epidemics in the past, from which health policy and epidemic response have been refined. However, there are likely to be religious, spiritual, and social dimensions of individual response to such measures that could put these policy efforts at risk. We outline a set of behavioral interventions taking into account potential cultural correlates specific to India. In order to mitigate the increasing spread of COVID-19 in India, policymakers can consider incorporating these elements when designing communication and prevention strategies. We argue that such interventions might ensure that behaviour change is sustained even after the formal lockdown period.