Perceptions and behavioural responses of the general public during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional survey of UK Adults

Christina J Atchison; Leigh Bowman; Charlotte Vrinten; Rozlyn Redd; Philippa Pristera; Jeffrey W Eaton; Helen Ward

Our findings highlight the stark choices faced by those in lower socio-economic groups and suggest that unless the government intervenes to support these individuals, the impact of this epidemic will likely be felt unequally in our society. Not only this, but if a large proportion of the population continues to work while unwell, low compliance will render the various forms of social distancing less effective, as low-income workers are forced to choose between financial and physical health. Indeed, this behaviour has already been observed in the workplace in previous pandemics: workers without access to paid sick leave were more likely to work while unwell than those with paid sick leave (14) . A study in China after the H7N9 epidemic found that only 7% of people reported willingness to self-quarantine (15) .