The year of covid and challenges ahead
It’s now over a year since the first lockdown in the UK. There have been many changes in society and attitudes, many of which may be here to stay.
Imperial College, London and YouGov have tracked behaviour and attitudes during the year of covid in the UK and 27 countries.
In April 2000 during the first lockdown 96% of people in the UK were frequently washing their hands. The figure has dropped slightly, but remains at 93%. Harrison Wipes carried out a study in the USA which found that attitudes towards cleanliness had changed, with people now regarding cleaning as a routine protective measure against health risks.
The number of people who avoided going out because of COVID was 81% at the start of the lockdown, but had dropped to 53% in the UK by April. Those who avoided working outside of their home dropped from 69% to 49% over the same period. 62% always or frequently avoided going to shops, a figure that reduced to 42% by last month.
The survey also revealed levels of confidence in the NHS and Government. Confidence in the NHS is high – 81% felt confident at the start of the pandemic rising to 82% last month. This puts the UK as having the second highest level of confidence in health services of all countries covered after Singapore.
In January 2020 36% trusted the Government’s handling of the pandemic, a figure that has now risen to 45%.
Some effects of the pandemic
Information on the effects of the pandemic are now being released all the time. In the first six months of 2020 almost 25,000 retail jobs were lost, which was only the first stage. During the year as a whole 17,500 chain store outlets closed. Clothing sales have decreased by over 20% during the period.
384 pub buildings were either demolished or changed their use, a fall of 1% in the number of pubs. How many of those that remain will continue to be viable remains to be seen.
Agencies have reported a sharp increase in problem gambling during the pandemic, with regular gamblers six times more likely to be gambling during the period Alcohol consumption and alcohol related problems have also increased.
Mental health has also been cited as an issue. Although the YouGov survey recorded an increase in the number of people diagnosed with a mental health condition from 12% in May 2020 to 18% in April 2021, it also acknowledges that getting a formal diagnosis during lockdowns has been difficult.
Branches of mental health charity Mind report a doubling of the number of people asking for help. An NHS survey revealed that 44% of health and care staff have suffered work related stress.
The Trussle Trust reports that there are now 14m people living in poverty and an increase in food bank use by up to a third. Homeless charities believe that the numbers of homeless people is now well over 200,000.
Inequality is also thought to have widened; although there are many different ways to measure inequality and different organisations trying to and using different methods with statistics collected differently in different countries and so coming to different results.. It is clear however that the UK is one of the most unequal countries in Europe.
Challenges ahead
The Resolution Foundation, working with the London School of Economics, has warned that the UK faces a “decisive decade”. The four issues that must be overcome are, it concludes, the effects of climate change, Covid, Brexit and an ageing population in which the ratio of people aged under 20 or over 65 will move from 72 per100 people to 79.
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