How fear of Covid-19 predicts differential attitudes between nonphysician healthcare workers and other essential occupations

Abstract

We examine two competing hypotheses about how individual differences in fear of Covid-19 influence attitudes toward nurses, hospital janitors and garbage collectors. On one hand, fear of Covid-19 can predict less warmth toward nurses because fear may lead to avoidance and contempt. On the other hand, fear of Covid-19 can predict greater warmth toward nurses because greater fear of Covid-19 could alternatively imply greater cognizance of the contribution that nurses make, and the risk they undertake. Also, we hypothesize that fear of Covid-19 does not predict greater warmth toward hospital janitors or garbage collectors. Findings of two studies (cross-sectional and longitudinal) generally showed that increased fear of Covid-19 (mainly on the psychological dimension) predicted greater warmth toward nurses, but not toward hospital janitors and garbage collectors. In the pandemic context, it appears that healthcare workers directly involved in patient care are not so much stigmatized, as appreciated, for their risk and contribution. However, other essential workers that are not involved in direct patient care appear less valued.