Coronavirus And The Social Impacts On Great Britain: 12 February 2021

12th February 2021

This week, over the period 3 to 7 February 2021, based on adults in Great Britain.

Compliance with most measures to stop the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) remained high, with similar proportions to last week reporting always or often handwashing after returning home (90% this week compared with 89% last week), using a face covering (95% this week compared with 94% last week) and avoiding physical contact when outside their home (93% both this week and last week).

The proportion of adults reporting staying at home or only leaving for work, exercise, essential shopping or medical needs in the past seven days was similar to last week (56% this week compared with 57% last week); this proportion has gradually decreased since mid-January although remains higher than before the introduction of national lockdowns across Great Britain in November 2020.

Personal well-being scores for life satisfaction, feeling that things done in life are worthwhile and happiness remained at some of the lowest levels recorded since this survey began in March 2020; the anxiety score improved slightly this week compared with last week.

The proportion of adults who felt that it will take more than a year for life to return to normal (27%) fell slightly this week (down from 29% last week) but remains higher than those who feel life will return to normal in six months or less (21% this week, up from 17% last week).

Around 1 in 5 (22%) adults in Great Britain reported they had received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, around 7 in 10 (72%) reported they had not yet been offered the COVID-19 vaccine, 1 in 20 (5%) reported that they had been offered it and were awaiting it, and less than 1 in 100 (less than 1%) reported that they had been offered it but declined it.

If mass testing were available in their area, around three-quarters (74%) of adults this week said they would be likely (very likely or fairly likely) to take part and get a test for COVID-19 even if they had no symptoms; an increase compared with last week (69%).

Almost two-thirds (64%) of those aged 16 to 29 years reported they would be likely to take part in mass testing; this proportion was higher amongst older age groups: 77% of adults aged 30 to 49 years, 78% of adults aged 50 to 69 years and 73% of those aged 70 years and above.

Read the full report HERE