Coronovirus changes behaviour

29 March 2020 by News Desk   |   SHARE  

Coronovirus has changed people’s behaviour. 76% of people have altered their behaviour in light of the coronavirus outbreak. Nearly half (48%) have changed their personal hygiene habits and just under half (46%) have stopped shaking hands with people.

Naturally people are more likely to have done the easy things though – compare these numbers to 17% who have stopped using transport and 14% who have worked from home more often.

• (Claimed) stockpiling is apparently lower than you might expect – 18% say they’ve stockpiled food and 16% say they’ve stockpiled toiletries, toilet roll or medicines.

• Over a third (39%) have avoided being in crowded places.

Coronovirus: general demographic findings

• Younger people, especially 18-24 year olds, are more likely to say that they feel overwhelmed, significantly more so than all other age groups (34%)

• At the time of surveying, people are predominately worried about the potential impact which coronavirus might have on their physical health (31%), as opposed to other impacts such as household financial situation (26%) or work prospects (20%)

• As you might expect, younger people are more likely to be worried about the impact on their financial situation – 1 in 10 (11%) of 18-34 year olds are ‘extremely worried’ (vs. just 1% of 65+)

• Those who are working are significantly more likely to be worried about the impact on their financial situation than those who are retired (26% vs. 16%).
• Apart from those on ‘Up to 14k a year’ who are the most worried about the impact on their finances (37%), there’s not actually that much difference in how worried people are on other income levels.

• That said, a pretty hefty 75% of those who said that they currently feel negative about their household finances are worried about the impact that CV is going to have – 38% are extremely worried.

• Renters are significantly more worried than homeowners (36% of renters worried vs 20% who own their house outright, or 25% who own their house with a mortgage)

• The level of worry around the impact on current physical health really does not differ much by age group. 18-34: 31% worried, 18-44: 29% worried, 45-64: 33% worried, 65%+: 34% worried

• Concerns about coronavirus and the impact it will have on people’s mental health is more of an issue with younger age groups. A third of 18-24s and 25-34s (31% and 34% respectively) are worried about this, with 1 in 10 extremely worried. For older age groups its about 20% worried, e.g. 22% of 45-54s, 22% of 55-64s and just 9% of 65+

Walnut Unlimited interviewed a nationally representative sample of 2011 GB adults aged 18+. Fieldwork was conducted between 13th -15th March 2020.