Carryover effects of COVID-19 on precautionary behaviours during similar future pandemics

Abstract The behaviour of the public during pandemics may be driven by past pandemic experiences. For instance, individuals’ precautionary behaviour during a future pandemic may be influenced by their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective of this study was to investigate the intentions of individuals to adopt precautionary measures during a future pandemic similar to COVID-19. More specifically, it aimed to determine the lingering impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the intention to get vaccinated, follow precautionary measures, and use public transport during a future similar pandemic situation. A questionnaire survey was conducted in Lahore, Pakistan, in August 2022 that yielded 904 responses. The intentions to get vaccinated and use public transport during a future similar pandemic were modelled using binary logistic regression, whereas the intentions to follow precautionary measures were modelled using linear regression. The results indicated that individuals experiencing the negative carryover effects of COVID-19 precautionary measures were more likely to be vaccinated. Those believing COVID-19 to be an exaggerated threat were less likely to be vaccinated and follow precautionary measures. Further, males and married people were more likely to be vaccinated and use public transport during the future pandemic. Moreover, individuals who experienced the negative carryover effects of COVID-19 precautionary measures and believed COVID-19 to be an exaggerated threat tended to use public transport more often during the future pandemic. The findings could be useful for planning agencies to understand how the carryover effects of a past pandemic may affect public behaviour during a potential future pandemic.