Page 20 - RusRPTJun20

2.9 ​ ​A third of Russians think coronavirus dangers are exaggerated, a fiction
A third of Russians (32.8%) believe that the danger of the coronavirus epidemic is exaggerated, or they consider it to be an invention of interested parties, according to a study conducted by the Higher School of Economics (HSE).
A quarter of the respondents (23.2%) are sure that there is no epidemic and this is an invention of interested people, another 9.6% believe that the danger is exaggerated.
According to data from the end of May, respondents who believe that the peak of the epidemic is still ahead (25.6%) are more than those who are sure that the peak has been passed and it will decline (16.3%).
Researchers note that the behaviour of the sceptics is fundamentally different from those that see a danger. Of those who do not believe in the epidemic, 43% visit relatives and more than half (54%) go for walks. Three quarters (74.22%) of sceptical respondents are convinced that there was no need for a self-isolation regime.
On the other hand only 18% of those who acknowledge the epidemic visit their relatives and less than 12% meet with friends. Only 10% of those who recognize the epidemic agree with the statement that there was no need to introduce a self-isolation regime.
The proportion of Russians who have sick people amongst their friends, relatives or acquaintances has increased from 4.9% to 16.6% between April 20 and May 26.
The percentage of respondents who do not agree that a self-isolation regime was necessary has also grown in the last month: from 15.9% in early April to 32.4% by the end of May. The number of those who advocate tightening the restrictions also decreased in the same period and by May 26 amounted to 18.4%.
20​ RUSSIA Country Report​ June 2020 ​ ​www.intellinews.com