The frantic desire for control is a kind of childishness: people think that if they themselves can find the cure or preventative for an illness they aren't in danger from intellectuals and government. It's part of the same childishness that makes people so addicted to their phones and their social media that they have to fiddle with them even when driving, and won't switch them off even overnight or when attending performances. It's also part of an individualism that resents the idea that you might be kind to a neighbour or someone you share the road with. And people who rely on homeopathy and "natural" treatments are trying for control too, trying to keep away the demons with magic.