RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Brazilians are more afraid of being infected by the coronavirus, or of having someone in their family contaminated, than of the economic crisis resulting from the pandemic.
This is shown by a survey conducted by the QualiBest Institute, a market research company, which interviewed some 2,000 people over two periods in March using a digital platform.
According to the survey, 73 percent of respondents said their greatest fear with the pandemic is being infected or having someone in their family infected.
The second most noted fear, by 63 percent of respondents, is that the country’s healthcare system will be insufficient to care for all patients.
The concern with the economic crisis ranks third, mentioned by 35 percent of respondents.
“The data show that the population is truly worried about their own lives. The issue is much more one of survival at this point in time, both in the event they get sick and in what their daily lives will be like when the disease spreads in Brazil,” says Daniela Malouf, general director of QualiBest.
The research was conducted in two moments. First, 1,098 people were interviewed between March 10th and 11th. Later, another 1,005 people were interviewed between March 20th and 21st.
The institute sends questionnaires to a base of 250,000 registered individuals. Before doing so, it will filter who will take part in the survey so that the sample matches the profile of the Brazilian population.