The Effect of Germ Movement on the Construal of Mental States in Germs: The Moderating Role of Contamination Fear

COVID-19, obsessive-compulsive disorder and invisible life forms that threaten the self

This communication explores unique characteristics of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in the context of the current coronavirus pandemic. When do irrational fears of contamination as seen in OCD start to diverge from rational fears and behaviors? The current paper argues that the personal meaning attributed to viruses and germs, including their personification as entities that possess human-like characteristics, allows them to threaten and violate an individual's identity. Specifically, it suggests that fears of contamination become obsessional when the threat of viruses and germs becomes personal, not solely in terms of its objective outcomes, but in how these life forms are able to threaten the self as the result of a fear of inner corruption characterizing those with OCD. The person with OCD may act as if, or believe that they are acting upon reality when they fear contagion, but are in effect only acting upon an underlying fear of inner corruption that is confused with reality itself. The current paper concludes with some clinical recommendations on how to treat obsessional fears of contamination in the context of the current pandemic.