Real covidiots! People who refuse to wear a mask have lower cognitive ability, new study shows

The term'covidiot' is a coronavirus-era slang term for someone who ignores recommendations to limit the spread of the deadly disease – and a new study reveals what makes these people dismiss the warnings. Researchers found that whether or not an individual decides to follow social distancing depends on how much information their working memory can store, which determines mental abilities such as intelligence. Following a survey of 850 Americans, the team discovered that those with more working memory capacity were more likely to comply with recommendations during the early stage of the outbreak. The findings suggest that policy makers need promote compliance behaviors, such as wearing a mask, based on individuals' general cognitive abilities to avoid effortful decisions. The coronavirus began spread across the US earlier this year and when it gained more traction, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a list of recommendations aimed at limiting the spread of the virus.