Knowledge of the disease, respect for containment, vaccine … The five things to remember from our Covid-19 Barometer

Take your pulse regularly. For eight months the French have been immersed in an unprecedented health crisis and in news that brings anxiety. What have they learned about the coronavirus? Have they adopted barrier gestures? Do they respect imprisonment and suffer from it? All of these questions, and more, have been addressed by this first YouGov * Health Barometer for 20 minutes and Doctissimo. Every month, 20 minutes will present this barometer to see the evolution of French coronavirus behavior and priorities, and look at other health topics.

This first overview shows, among other things, that the French know Covid-19 very well, that they have adopted barrier gestures, respected the second confinement, but what a sedentary lifestyle, mental disorders and reluctance in front of the vaccine should do appeal to decision makers.

Good knowledge of the disease

Although the coronavirus has been ubiquitous in the media and in private conversations for eight months, it is reassuring to see that respondents are well informed or almost knowledgeable about Covid-19. Only 3% believe that their level of knowledge is poor on how to protect themselves from this disease. “Overall, the French, whatever their age group, are well aware of this,” sums up Gérald Kierzek, emergency doctor and medical director of Doctissimo.

The interviewees seem to know the symptoms well, with some variations all the same: 95% know that the loss of smell and taste is part of it, 94% breathing difficulties, 91% fever, 83% cough. .. On the other hand, only 75% know that the incubation period lasts from 3 to 5 days. The main comorbidities are also integrated on the risk factors: obesity (for 88% of them), diabetes (87%), arterial hypertension (81%) and respiratory and lung diseases (95%). On the other hand, three risk factors are less well known: cancer (75%), immunosuppression (66%) and kidney disease (64%).

What, however, is cause for concern is that 19% of French respondents have delayed or canceled a medical appointment out of fear of the coronavirus. Instructions were given on this second hospitalization however not to sacrifice medical monitoring, regrets the doctor. We must therefore convey messages: today there is no reason to avoid hospitals and doctors’ offices. Only the resuscitation services are overloaded, circuits have been set up for Covid patients. Not to mention, this time around, both healthcare workers and patients have masks and other protective gear.

Respect for barrier gestures …

Not only does the French master make barrier gestures, but he respects them. In fact, whether it is washing hands (94%), coughing the elbow (85%) or using a disposable handkerchief (88%), the vast majority of respondents have integrated the various precautionary measures. “Even the ventilation of his house twice a day, of which we have communicated less than in Germany, 83% know, greets Gérald Kierzek. We have gone from barrier measures that were not known and not applied to reflexes, it is a real change in behavior. “To see if the next barometers will confirm that these measures have become commonplace …” Because they work for all winter viruses, flu like gastro, “recalls the doctor.

Our barometer also reflects the relative adoption of the TousAntiCovid application. In fact, only 26% of respondents say they have downloaded it and 4% have installed it, then deleted. Furthermore, half of those who use the app activate it only for travel certificates. Only 8% reported a contact case and 6% received a notification stating that it was a contact case.

… And imprisonment

More surprisingly, 9 out of 10 respondents say they have met the second confinement (92%) in the first two weeks and do not plan to ease their efforts until 1 December (90%). Small nuance: there is the same 30% of the panel who replied that they “rather” followed the instructions. “We have heard a lot that the French have little respect for this second confinement, less than the first”, continues the medical director of the Doctissimo site. However, these figures show real adhesion. Young people were also stigmatized, presumably less responsible. But this survey shows that 93% of 18-24 year olds and 90% of 25-34 year olds avoid holiday gatherings. “This wipes out ideas received and speeches full of guilt,” resumes the emergency doctor.

Impaired physical and mental health

We know how the epidemic and the second imprisonment have weakened the mental health of some French people. An inconvenience that can be read in our Health Barometer: for 52% of the interviewees, Covid-19 has a negative impact on their morale. More surprisingly, 36% of them say it had no impact on their well-being.

“What bothers and worries me is that 54% of the respondents have not done any physical activity in the past two weeks, notes Gerald Kierzek. We know their consequences on obesity, on physical and mental health. Many are concerned about the increase in depression. But limiting your rides to 1km and an hour is an obstacle to physical activity. And that doesn’t make any medical sense, when you’re out on your own, what’s the deal? It is a long-term crisis and the absurd measures will not hold up. From the point of view of Macron’s speech, this lock could blow. “

Another interesting part of the study a few hours after the announcements: the barometer focuses on what the French miss most. First the fact of moving freely (65%), almost linked to seeing family (64%), then friends (47%). Far behind, we find going to the restaurant (34%). Only 17% regret not being able to go to local stores and 11% regret a gym. However, according to the latest rumors, the government appears to be favoring a very gradual move away with a reopening of local stores in early December, but an extension of travel certificates after December 1 … This should continue to limit contacts with relatives.

Reluctance to the vaccine

Our health barometer joins various polls published in recent weeks, which suggest a lack of confidence in future vaccines against Covid-19. In fact, if a vaccine were placed on the market, 34% would get vaccinated as quickly as possible. For a quarter of respondents, this is a definitive no, but 28% say they probably wouldn’t go and 14% don’t know. And of those who replied that they wouldn’t jump on this vaccine, 36% plan to buy it as a second pass. These additional data underline the importance, in the coming weeks, of transparency and clear information on the efficacy, safety and value of this vaccination.

France is very divided on the issue of vaccination. And as serious as this crisis may be, future Covid-19 vaccines are no exception to this trend. Therefore, for 43% of respondents, the vaccine should not be mandatory. “What is at stake will be your safety”, assures Gérald Kierzek. I see it when I discuss it with my patients, the frenzied rush for vaccines has clouded the concept of efficacy. “

* The survey was conducted on 1,015 representative people of the French national population aged 18 and over. The survey was conducted online, on the proprietary panel of YouGov France, from 18 to 19 November 2020. Click this link if you want to find out more about this study.