90% of Pinoys worried about catching COVID – SWS

MANILA, Philippines — Nearly nine in 10 Filipinos worry that they or anyone in their immediate family might catch the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) showed.

The special SWS COVID-19 Mobile Phone Survey, conducted from May 4 to 10, found that 87 percent of Filipinos – consisting of 73 percent who described themselves to be “worried a great deal” and 14 percent who were “somewhat worried”– fretted that a member of their immediate family might get infected.

On the other hand, 13 percent seven percent who were “worried a little” and seven percent “not worried” were unconcerned about catching the virus.

Worries about catching COVID-19 hardly vary in areas under the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) at 88 percent and general community quarantine (GCQ) at 86 percent, the SWS said.

By area, worries about catching the disease are higher in Metro Manila at 93 percent and the Visayas at 91 percent, compared to Mindanao at 85 percent and balance Luzon at 84 percent.

The survey also showed almost all or 94 percent of Filipinos are “aware” of the COVID-19 symptoms, most mentioned of which are fever at 87 percent and cough at 86 percent.

Awareness of its symptoms is high in both ECQ and GCQ areas, at 96 percent and 92 percent, respectively, the SWS said.

Awareness of COVID-19 symptoms is highest in Metro Manila at 98 percent, followed by the Visayas at 96 percent, balance Luzon at 94 percent, and Mindanao at 90 percent.

According to the SWS, compared to its past surveys, worry about catching COVID-19 is greater than worries about catching Ebola at 82 percent in 2014, swine flu at 82 percent in 2009, bird flu at 83 percent in 2006 and 80 percent in 2004, and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) at 78 percent in 2003.

Worry about catching the virus is also higher among Filipinos than among Britons, Australians and Americans, based on similar surveys, the pollster said.

SWS said the Roy Morgan Research online surveys of March 18 to 20, 2020 and March 28 to 29, 2020 found that 78 percent of Britons and 75 percent of Australians “agree” with the statement, “I am afraid that either myself or someone in my family may actually catch the coronavirus.”

It also cited the ABC News/Ipsos Poll online survey, taken from May 13 to 14, 2020, which found that 79 percent of Americans say they are “concerned” that they or someone they know will be infected with COVID-19.

The SWS survey was conducted using mobile phone and computer-assisted telephone interviewing of 4,010 working-age Filipinos, 15 years old and above, nationwide.