After another week of grim news from Victoria and around the world, COVID is increasingly starting to seem like something that’s going to be with us for the long term.
But are people getting the message?
There was an interesting piece in The Australian this week based on a survey that was published in The Lancet, a popular medical journal.
The research, conducted by consultancy firm McKinsey and Company, found older Australians are three times more concerned about the impact of COVID on the economy rather than their personal health, despite being among the groups most at risk.
McKinsey and Company questioned 800 Australians since April and found 59% of those over 75 were “very or extremely” worried about the economy.
This is compared to just 18%, who had the same degree of concern about their health.
“Australians have expressed more concern over the economy than citizens in NZ, the US and China from the start of the crisis,” McKinsey said.
This comes as the World Health Organisation (WHO) this week said young people flouting social distancing restrictions are creating spikes in new COVID-19 cases around the world.
The rate of infection in those aged 15 to 24 has risen from 4.5 per cent to 15 per cent globally.
“Younger people tend to be less vigilant about masking and social distancing,” said Neysa Ernst, nurse manager at John Hopkins Hospital biocontainment unit in an interview with Reuters.
“Travel increases your chances of getting and spreading COVID-19.”
COVID-19 is increasingly seeming like something that’s going to be with us for the long haul, and perhaps new messaging is needed not just for those most likely to spread it, but for those most at risk.
