The spread of COVID-19 has seen people frantically stock their cupboards and freezers, with empty supermarket shelves a common sight worldwide. Canvas8 spoke to Dr. Leonard Lee, a marketing professor at the National University of Singapore, to understand the human needs that fuel panic-buying.

Most of us have felt tempted to flout lockdown rules, but a sense of collective responsibility holds us back. However, research shows young men are twice as likely as young women to break the rules, leading experts to call for a change in narrative around encouraging prosocial behaviour.

With Britons locked down amid the COVID-19 outbreak, supermarkets are one of the few places they’re allowed to go. Aware of people’s anxiety and keen to reduce hysteria, shops are using subtle nudges, including hitting shuffle on their in-store playlists, to help keep shoppers calm.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top immunologist, has attracted a dedicated stanbase due to leading the US in its fight against the coronavirus pandemic. His popularity sheds some light on how people’s attitudes to experts, and leaders, may change in a post-pandemic world.