Why are Romanians afraid during the coronavirus pandemic?
Mercury Research offers Romanian companies and authorities a study to help them understand the population’s fears about the coronavirus pandemic. Also, this study helps companies and authorities to anticipate the duration of the pandemic crisis and estimate the economic impact on the population. The study was conducted between March 25 and April 3, 2020, on a representative sample of 1007 people, which ensures a sampling error +3%, by telephone interview, according to the best practices in the field.
In this fight with the new coronavirus, most countries have been put in a terrible impasse – to reduce the risk of infection at the cost of compromising the economy, or not to stop the economy and risk more human losses. Like most countries, Romania chose the first option. The question is: Does this decision answer the fears of Romanians or not?
Romanians are most afraid of getting infected (46%), followed by the fear of losing their income (24%) and the fear of not finding food (8%).
Romanians who are afraid of being infected with the coronavirus are more likely to be women, they are older (almost half of them are over 55) and almost half of them do not work. These Romanians want to a greater extent the prohibition of all non-essential economic activities. Those who fear infection more than the economic consequences enjoy the privilege of financial security: almost two-thirds of them have no bank installments, and more than half could live over 3 months on savings without having an income.
29% of those who work fear that they will lose their job, and for 5% the fear has materialized and they have already been fired due to the economic blockade caused by Covid-19. Romanians who fear the loss of income are more likely to be men, they are younger (three quarters of them are under 55) and they are active (70% of them work). These Romanians want the continuation of their economic activities normally, because they have installments to pay and they can only live between one and three months on their savings.
Those who fear that they will not find enough food are more likely to be older man who do not work and have little education. They want economic activities to continue as normal.
You can find details in the full report in Romanian here and in English here. Since 1994, Mercury Research has been providing high-quality information for market insights, product optimization, operational improvement and communication.
Contact details: Ingrid Lambru, contact@mercury.ro
