CORONAVIRUS CONCERNS

ONS survey shows the social impact of the pandemic

MORE than four in five of us are worried about the effect coronavirus is having on our lives.

A new survey from the Office for National Statistics has revealed that 84% of adults in Great Britain are either very or somewhat worried about the impact of Covid-19.

The figure rises to 85% of people with an underlying health condition, and 89% of people aged 70 years and over.

In particular, people are most worried about how their wellbeing is being affected - for example by boredom, loneliness, anxiety and stress.

The survey is part of an ongoing effort by the ONS to understand how the Covid-19 pandemic is affecting life in Great Britain.

Around two in five adults (40%) said the coronavirus was affecting their work, rising to nearly half of those aged 16 to 69 (47%).

The main reason for this concern was a decrease in hours worked because of workplace closures or reduced opening times.

Meanwhile, nearly one in four adults said coronavirus was affecting their household finances (23%) - with the main concern being reduced income.

Nearly half of adults expect their finance position to get worse over the next year (44%).

The survey also looked at whether we understand the information available about the coronavirus, with four in five adults saying they had enough information about how to protect themselves (83%).

When asked about the UK’s plan for dealing with the coronavirus, however, just over half of all adults (53%) said they had enough information.

Almost all adults (just under 100%) said they were washing their hands with soap and water to avoid infection - with 90% saying they washed their hands with soap and water or sanitiser whenever they arrived home.

And nearly all adults (97%) said they had avoided physical contact (such as shaking hands) with other people from outside their household.

But despite restrictions on physical contact with others, finding a way to stay in touch with friends and family remotely is the most popular action that is helping people cope whilst staying at home.

One positive side of the lockdown is how it is affecting our sense of community.

Over half of adults (55%) said they have a sense of belonging with other residents in their local community during the coronavirus pandemic - with 54% of adults checking on neighbours who might need help at least once, and 28% going shopping or doing other tasks for neighbours.

More than two in every three people (68%) said they thought people are doing more to help others since the coronavirus outbreak.