The effect of relational mobility on the early and late stages of the COVID-19 outbreak: Discussion from the socioecological perspective

Abstract

In the first year of the pandemic, the number of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population in Japan is not as high as in other countries. Among the factors that may be related to infection rates, we focus on a socioecological factor called relational mobility. In this article, we argue that while low relational mobility in Japan suppressed the spread of COVID-19 at the beginning of the outbreak, it could actually prevent the full containment of the virus. In low relational mobility societies (e.g., Japan), people can engage in physical distancing relatively easily and tend to “monitor” others' compliance. These behaviors helped suppress the spread of COVID-19 in Japan during the outbreak. On the flip side, the emphasis on relationship harmony could prevent the virus from being fully contained in low relational mobility societies as people fear being identified and avoid taking a PCR test or cooperating in contact tracing. Thus, monitoring the behaviors of nonconformists by the public in low relational mobility societies could actually work against controlling the virus.