A recent survey suggests that more people are still sticking to the rules and staying home even after the relaxation of some lockdown rules

A new study carried out by King’s College London, and Ipsos Mori suggests that people are still sticking to the ‘stay at home’ rules despite some easing of restrictions. The main reasons behind this include concern over the health impacts of the virus and how it will affect the future of the economy.

This study highlighted that behaviour and opinion have changed since a previous survey conducted at the beginning of April. In the findings, 41% of adults said they hadn’t left their home on five or more days of the previous week leading up the survey. While 1 in 7 adults said, they also did not leave home once in the previous week.

This comes after Health Secretary Matt Hancock suggested that localised restrictions could be put in place to prevent flare-ups in the future.

Since the survey carried out previously, it highlighted that more people now think they can cope with lockdown now compared to the previous period. However, over half of the people said they find the situation stressful. Around 49% of people polled also said, “There are some aspects of the ‘lockdown’ measures that I’ve enjoyed.”

Director of the Policy Institute at King’s College of London, Professor Bobby Duffy, said that although the advice may have changed to ‘stay alert,”:

“it’s the ‘stay at home’ message that the public are continuing to follow.”

He also added that there is a continued focus on public health and saving lives, and that may mean the government may struggle to coax people out of lockdown.

Worry and fears over the financial impact

The concern over the future of the economy and job security is a common feature in the results of the study. 20% of workers think they could lose their jobs, which is up from the results in April. Plus, 28% of people have had to cut back on non-essential spending.

However, the figures suggested that around 30% of polled have experienced some reductions in household income. Still, just 6% said they could not afford food or other essentials, while 5% said they could not pay their mortgage or rent.

Other health impacts of coronavirus

While the health issues of the virus itself are a concern for many people, there have been other broader health issues that people highlighted in the study. 48% said they had put on weight during the lockdown, and 29% say they drink more than they usually would. Nearly half of people said they felt lonelier, and 20% are struggling to cope with lockdown measures.

This comes after NHS England have said 26% of COVID-19 patients who died in England had diabetes.

Gideon Skinner at Ipsos Mori commented that other than the direct risks, “the crisis is having an impact for many people on their financial and mental health too.” However, he added that the British public is showing resilience and looking for the positives.

The Duke of Edinburgh recently spoke about his concern over the potential mental health impact, especially among keyworkers. In a clip featured on the BBC’s One Show, the prince said: “Where they feel that once they have this hero tag, they can no longer shake that, and therefore they can’t ask for support.” He continued to say, “they have to be this strong pillar of strength.”