Metro Vancouverites more proactive against coronavirus than other Canadians: poll
Credit to Author: Kevin Griffin| Date: Thu, 13 Feb 2020 02:20:27 +0000
Just over 40 per cent of Metro Vancouverites say they’re trying to reduce the risk of contracting the coronavirus, 15 percentage points more than those living in the rest of B.C. and 10 per cent more than Canadians overall, according to a new poll.
The Leger poll found that 41 per cent of Metro Vancouver respondents said they are taking precautions to reduce their risk of catching coronavirus compared to 26 per cent in the rest of B.C. and 31 per cent nationally.
The poll found that 32 per cent of those “who self identify as being of Chinese ethnic origin” show the highest concern about the threat of coronavirus in their community along with people living in urban and suburban areas and those who have children in their household.
That figure compares to 25 per cent of Greater Vancouver residents who are “extremely or very concerned” about the threat from the virus in their community. In Metro Vancouver, 35 per cent are “somewhat concerned.”
On a slightly different question about the threat of the virus to Canada, 29 per cent said they were extremely or very concerned; that response rose to 37 per cent for people self-identifying as being of Chinese origin.
The Leger poll found that hand washing is the top precaution Canadians are taking to reduce their risk of catching the virus, at 80 per cent.
Poll author Ian Large said it’s good to see that people are following the main recommendation of public health experts.
The B.C. Centre for Disease Control says “the most important thing you can do to prevent coronavirus and other illnesses is to wash your hands regularly and avoid touching your face.”
The poll found that Canadians have made other behaviour changes which include more frequent cleaning and disinfecting of surfaces and objects at 52 per cent and using alcohol-based sanitizers more often at 49 per cent.
Large, speaking from Edmonton, said it was worrisome that 13 per cent reported using natural remedies/precautions such as essential oils.
BCCDC has no recommendations for any medicines, supplements or oils to prevent or cure coronavirus.
“I wonder if there is a disinformation or misinformation campaign that’s trickling into people’s minds,” said Large, Leger’s executive vice-president and partner, Western Canada.
Nationally, 59 per cent said they relied on TV and radio for their information about the coronavirus; 51 per cent on online sources; and 33 per cent and 32 per cent on international online news sources and social media, respectively.
Leger surveyed 2,364 people across the country, 453 were in B.C. and 548 in Greater Vancouver.
Participants were randomly selected from Leger Opinion, an Internet panel of more than 400,000 Canadians. Sixty per cent were randomly recruited by phone during the past 10 years, Leger says, “makes this panel very similar to the current Canadian population on a number of demographic characteristics.”
The poll was conducted in English and French between Friday, Feb. 7 and Monday, Feb. 10.
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