PORTLAND, Ore. — Michael Kesten took a mental note of the smaller-than-usual crowd at his gym, and asked a few regulars why there weren’t more people working out.

Maybe it was an adjustment to Daylight Saving Time, someone suggested. 

Then they reached another conclusion almost immediately: It must be because so many people were taking seriously the “social distancing” recommendation amid the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. Then, another consensus: What a bunch of over-reactors. 

That was Sunday, March 8 — which Kesten, a 69-year-old communications consultant, now says, “seems like a year ago.” 

In the last week, as the threat of coronavirus has become more realistic, both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local government officials have all but begged Americans to practice “social distancing,” which essentially involves self-quarantining in an effort to contain the spread of the virus. 

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But many people aren’t doing it — in fact, they’re doing the opposite. 

Over the weekend, photos and videos flooded social media and cable news of large crowds gathering everywhere, from Disney World to popular brunch spots to workout classes. This has evoked a variety of reactions, from outraged, self-isolating individuals calling those people selfish, to supporters who have tweeted and commented that coronavirus won’t stop America. 

“It’s bizarre, isn’t it?” said Cynthia Mohr, a professor of psychology at Portland State University and an associate editor at the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology. She likened it to the well known children’s tale, “The Boy Who Cried Wolf.”

“I think a big piece of it is, we’ve had other health scares, and they’ve been bad but not catastrophic,” Mohr said. “We heard so much about SARS and H1N1, but we seemed to be OK. So experience-wise, people are thinking, ‘Oh, we’ll be fine here now, too.’” 

Mohr and other psychology professionals say that’s a natural, understandable reaction — but it doesn’t mean it’s an accurate one. The numbers — not to mention the horror stories coming out of other first-world countries, like Italy — imply this virus could be much worse, especially if people all over the country don’t start taking the threat seriously, and adjust their behavior accordingly. 

Regan Gurung, the director of Oregon State University’s psychology program and an expert in social psychology, said there are three factors at play in Americans’ decision to ignore CDC recommendations. 

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First, Gurung said, there’s a lack of information about both the virus and what “social distancing” actually is. 

“It conjures up ideas,” he explained. “Some people think, ‘OK, no school, let’s have a play date!’ Well, that’s not social distancing.” Mixed messages from state and federal governments add to confusion, allowing individuals to pick who they want to listen to, he said. 

Second, Gurung pointed to an overall feeling in America of invincibility and invulnerability, a “we are so strong, we are so untouchable” attitude that tends to permeate the entire country, especially during a crisis. 

Third, he said, is directly related to coping. 

“By virtue of not following all these prescriptions, it’s easy to believe that everything is normal and you’re going to be fine,” Gurung said. “If you start practicing social distancing — which we really need to call physical distancing so people better understand the concept — it highlights the fact that, oh my gosh, this is a dangerous time.” 

For some people, he said, it’s just easier to keep the fear at bay — especially when you’re downing mimosas and taking group selfies. 

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Millennials, in particular, have drawn criticism for flocking to their regular nightlife, undoubtedly because the virus is not thought to be lethal for most people under 60. But there’s also plenty of Baby Boomers refusing to cancel their plans, which Mohr said is likely because of a “been-here, done-that” attitude when it comes to surviving other global crises. 

Then there’s the “last gasp of freedom” factor, Mohr said, pointing to how some people will react to news of a potential quarantine by going all-out before they’re ordered inside by government leaders. It very well could be that Disney World was packed Sunday because everyone knew it closed Monday. 

Businesses are looking out for their bottom line, too, and in the last week have actually encouraged customers to stop by, government recommendations be damned. But that might not last long. Late Sunday night and early Monday, governors and mayors from all over the country started closing bars, restaurants and gyms.

When he announced that bars and restaurants would close, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker implied that people weren’t great at making their own decisions. 

“The time for persuasion and public appeal is over. The time for action is here,” he said, less than 24 hours after thousands of Chicagoans packed into bars to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. 

Government officials hope that social distancing allows America to slow the spread and “flatten the curve,” a term being used to explain how the country wants to stretch out confirmed cases instead of bunching them together and overwhelming the healthcare system. 

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For her part, Mohr is optimistic this crisis could actually serve as a reminder to people that being individual-focused doesn’t lead to success for society at large. 

“There’s this attitude right now about, ‘Well I’m OK, and if I feel sick I just won’t go out,’” she said. “This is a situation where we need to change our behavior according not to what’s good for us, but what’s good for our region and the whole population. That’s not the way we’re raised in America. 

“But I’m hopeful this can remind us that we are all, in fact, connected.” 

Of course, while medical professionals everywhere stress the importance of physical distance, they also recognize how crucial social interactions are for everyone. 

Before his gym shut down Monday, Dr. Robert Glatter, an ER physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York who also works as a network physician for US Soccer, was still working out there regularly, cognizant of taking care of his mental, physical and emotional health. It’s critical to stay in shape right now, he said, especially because so many doctors will be focused on patients who test positive for the virus. But staying health is possible even without people right next to you. 

“We’re all going to need to get creative and think outside the box when it comes to regular social activities, like working out,” Glatter said.

“What we have to remember is that social distancing is not social isolation. You can still use technology — use FaceTime, text, teleconference,” he added. “You need to interact with people, absolutely. But there are lots of different ways to interact and still be safe.”

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