Will there be a silver lining in the end? Lessons from and reflections on the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong and beyond

This article provides an analysis of the psychological and moral transformations as people confront the risk of infection, using Hong Kong as a case example. In the face of an unfamiliar threat, the need for uncertainty reduction gives rise to hasty, uncritical, and oversimplified assumptions about risk reduction, while prejudice against people and nations who do not share similar practices, as well as those symptomatic or at risk of catching the virus, ensue. The pandemic is eroding basic human decency and our compassion for one another while the human race battles a common threat to our destiny. Copyright © 2020 American Psychological Association.