Covid-19 fatigue could see surge in number of infections

Under the relaxed Covid-19 alert Level 1, many South Africans have experienced a growing fatigue, a greater complacency and noncompliance to health protocols, with 41% describing the pandemic as being “exaggerated”.

A survey conducted during July and September by associate professor Carin Runciman at University of Johannesburg’s (UJ) Centre for Social Change and the Development, Capable and Ethical State of the Human Sciences Research Council found there was “a worrying growth in pandemic fatigue”.

“With the greater number of people not complying with public health measures, there is a need for strong and continued public health messaging, that the threat posed by the virus is not over – even though we are now at a lower alert Level 1,” said Runciman.

Describing the pandemic fatigue as “real”, Dr Giles van Cutsem of Doctors Without Borders said there was a risk of a second wave “if previously unexposed people decrease their prevention behaviour – especially if people congregate in confined and poorly ventilated spaces for long periods of time, as seen in Europe”.

“This risk, however, needs to be mitigated by the fact that many people have already been infected in SA,” said Van Cutsem.

With SA having seen high levels of community transmissions and previous exposure to the infection, Van Cutsem said he was “not sure that reopening the borders to tourists would pose a threat, provided that we continue to apply strict protective measures”.

According to the results of the survey:

• Four in 10 adults believed the threat of the coronavirus was exaggerated, with 41% believing the pandemic was overstated;
• Sixty-five percent of adults believed President Cyril Ramaphosa was doing a good job in his handling of the pandemic – a 20% drop in confidence compared to the first survey;
• A number of people wearing face masks stood at 37% in early April, increasing to just over 70% in July, August and September;
• Among 30% of adults, 20% said that they wore a mask “most of the time” and about 7% “some of the time”, with only 2% saying they never (or not often) wore a mask;
• Frequent feelings of fear remained at a consistently high level from April through July – ranging between 44% and 47%. However, this fell to 31% during August and early September; and
• Seventy-two percent of participants said they would sacrifice some human rights, including attending church services, if that contributed towards the prevention of the spread of the virus.

The survey was conducted online, using the #datafree Moya Messenger app, which has two million active users. The data comprised 12 312 respondents for the first round of surveying and 7 966 respondents for the second round.

Results are based on an opt-in sample using cellphones or computers and weighted by race, education and gender to match Stats SA’s demographic data, making them broadly indicative of the attitudes, preferences and behaviours of South Africans.

–brians@citizen.co.za

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.