This report presents the results from the fifth Wellcome Monitor, a study on public attitudes about and engagement with science and health research.
Wellcome Monitor 2020: Covid-19 Study
This report presents the results of the fifth Wellcome Monitor. It looks at findings around the British public’s experience of the Covid-19 pandemic and their views on health information during lockdown.
What’s inside
The report is based on a survey of more than 2,600 people in England, Wales and Scotland. It gives a snapshot of:
- people’s experiences of the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown restrictions
- the level of trust in different sources of information, including scientists and government
- the clarity of information on staying safe and minimising risk
- the perceived effectiveness and uptake of prevention measures
Who this is for
- public health workers and healthcare strategists
- local governments and policy makers
- public engagement practitioners
Key findings
- BAME (Black, Asian and minority ethnic) people were more likely than White people to be very concerned about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on their personal finances (43% vs 23%), physical health (30% vs 18%) and mental health (34% vs 16%).
- BAME people were also more likely to find the restrictions put in place by the government difficult to follow (50% vs 38%), as were people who were finding things difficult financially.
- BAME people were less likely than White people to say that information about staying safe was very clear (52% vs 71%). This lack of clarity was particularly high among Black people (45%).
- Health scientists and researchers were largely trusted on information about coronavirus (72% of participants trusted them completely or a great deal). They were followed by government science advisors (63%), the UK government (52%) and employers (45%).
- BAME people were less trusting than White people of coronavirus information from health sector and government sources.
- People who trusted scientists were more likely to see prevention measures as effective; but trust in scientists did not have an effect on uptake of such measures.
- Younger people (18-29) and women were more concerned about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on their mental health, while older people (60+) were more concerned about the impact on their physical health.
Downloads
Infographics
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Contact us
- For more information, contact Pri Perera at P.Perera@wellcome.org
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