Volatility is available to less-skilled investors and even retail investors, which exacerbates these reasons. There are other potential concerns as well. It is easy to forget that implied volatility is not identical to actual volatility, and may behave differently. In normal times, there is also the expense of insuring a portfolio against extreme events based on investable volatility.
An investor is likely to sell in a panic during a pandemic crisis of this magnitude in order to preserve the value of their stock. Even though selling stocks during a crisis is not necessarily the worst option, it is preferable to do it beforehand. When an investor's emergency reserve is decreasing, they should sell their investments immediately to get cash. An emergency fund should always come first. An investor who has not made an investment yet is in a good position to do so now.
Traders should avoid selling unless they must. Especially if the investor's stocks come from well-established companies and are of good quality. Identify whether they are well-positioned to withstand the impending COVID-19-induced market storm.