Jordan, a doctoral student in Britain, spent the early weeks of the pandemic fretting about how the coronavirus might affect her elderly grandparents.

The same couldnt be said for her parents. Even as the British government slowly began to ramp up its coronavirus response , Jordan said her parents, both in their 50s, were too lax about the threat.

They are continuing to work, which I understand because my mom is a teacher schools are still open in the U.K. and my dad works outdoors, but theyre not really taking it seriously, said Jordan, who asked that we use only her first name so she could speak openly.

Her parents are still visiting her grandparents and going out to eat at restaurants.

My dad keeps saying its just like the flu and that a lot of people die every day, she said. They dont seem to understand how social distancing can help other people because they are not worried about getting it and they dont seem to listen when I try to talk to them about it.

Across the pond in Maryland, writer Micaela Walley is dealing with the same resistance from many of her relatives.

I live in Maryland, where our local officials have been very proactive in taking steps to prevent the coronavirus from spreading, Walley said. But a large portion of my family lives in the Deep South, where their local officials are known for being notoriously inactive across the board.

When Walley brings up the preventative steps being mandated in her state, her family tells her the threat of COVID-19 is not as big of a deal as the media portrays it to be.

Its extremely disheartening to see the people that I love react this way, Walley told HuffPost. And my family members are some of the very people that would be the most vulnerable to this virus if they contracted it.

Millennials and Gen Z have been roundly criticized for not taking the threat of coronavirus seriously (and rightfully so; look at all the young people whove been busted for house parties ). But as Walleys and Jordans stories illustrate, baby boomer parents and relatives are just as likely to dismiss the need to social distant. Thats especially worrisome because COVID-19 is most dangerous for older adults or those with serious health conditions. (An older adult is broadly defined as anyone over the age of 60).

I think some people are naturally immune to the panic even though they are not immune to COVID19, said Shane G. Owens, a psychologist and the assistant director of campus mental health at Farmingdale State College (SUNY).

When you mix this with Americans deeply rooted sense of liberty, it can be a dangerous combination, Owens said. We do not like being told where not to go and what not to do.

In these challenging times, we have to look beyond ourselves. But how do you convince your relatives that this isnt a political issue or even a family issue, its a major global health crisis?

Below, Owens and family therapists offer their advice for talking to family and close friends who still dont believe theyre affected by the pandemic.