Paradox of precaution: Infection and precautionary action during the COVID‐19 pandemic

Objective We consider the primary sources of COVID‐19 infection, the main precautionary actions taken, and common understandings of their difficulty and necessity in order to understand why it has been difficult to control the pandemic. Methods Online data collected in all 50 states during the Delta wave of the pandemic (n = 10,022) are used to examine how infection occurs and evaluate 32 precautionary actions. Results The most common source of respondent infection was at home, from someone they lived with. While most precautions were widely practiced, avoiding close contact with cohabitants was uncommon. This precaution was considered to be the most difficult and least necessary by a wide margin. Conclusion During the first 2 years of the pandemic, there was a mismatch between actions taken to avoid infection and the main way that people became infected. Many precautions caused people to stay at home, which may have increased their likelihood of infection. The identification of this “paradox of precaution” contributes to an understanding of why the pandemic could not be controlled in spite of the extensive and well‐intended precautions that were taken.