VANCOUVER

COVID-19 concerns are changing B.C. residents' habits, poll says

CTV News Vancouver

Alyse Kotyk CTVNewsVancouver.ca Journalist

Published Wednesday, March 11, 2020 12:17PM PDT Last Updated Wednesday, March 11, 2020 1:02PM PDT

This undated electron microscope image made available by the U.S. National Institutes of Health in February 2020 shows the Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. (NIAID-RML via AP)

Text:

VANCOUVER -- Concerns about the spread of COVID-19 are rising in B.C., as results from a recent poll suggest more than half of residents are worried about the virus.

According to results from an Insights West poll, 55 per cent of residents in the province are either "very" or "somewhat" concerned about COVID-19. A month ago, the percentage of concerned residents was 47 per cent.

The poll also found that nearly 30 per cent of B.C. residents have reported feeling sick over the past few weeks and about one-fifth of those say they're worried they might have COVID-19.

As concerns have grown, behaviours are beginning to change, Insights West's results also suggest. More than three quarters of residents polled say they're washing their hands more now, while about 60 per cent say they're touching their face less often. Around half of residents are avoiding shaking hands, while 36 per cent say they're buying or using hand sanitizer.

"This heightened level of awareness and concern about COVID-19 has had a significant effect already on the perceptions, actions and behaviours of B.C. residents," said Steve Mossop, president of Insights West in a news release.

"Overall, citizens are scrambling and making significant changes in their day-to-day lives around cleanliness, activities that involve crowds, and their purchasing behaviours."

Some of those changes in purchasing behaviours include 28 per cent of residents polled saying they're stocking up on home necessities. Nearly a quarter say they're visiting restaurants and malls less often.

Travel is also being impacted, with around a third saying they're delaying a trip they already had planned.

"Most concerning is the high level of worry about the impact on the travel industry, and the Canadian and the global economy," Mossop said. " As recent stock market gyrations have indicated, the repercussions could be significant."

Results from the Insights West poll are based on an online study conducted between March 3 and March 9 among 814 B.C. adults. The margin of error—which measures sample variability—is plus or minus 3.3 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.