Mask wearing has increased for all groups, irrespective of Covid-19 beliefs
But hand washing and social distancing are declining in SA, survey suggests
Image: 123RF/Francisco Alberto Rodrguez Henn
South Africans have widely adopted face masks to counter the threat of Covid-19 but are slipping on social distancing and hand washing.
This is according to the latest National Income Dynamics Study — Coronavirus Rapid Mobile survey (Nids-Cram)
Reported mask wearing has increased for all groups over time, irrespective of Covid-19 beliefs, the survey shows.
In July/August, 74% of respondents reported mask wearing, increasing to 78% in November/December.
Hand washing, however, decreased over the same period from 60% in July/August to 53% in November/December, and physical distancing also decreased.
In the latest survey, fewer respondents think they will get Covid-19 and more now believe they can avoid getting it.
The percentage of respondents who thought they “were likely to get Covid-19” decreased from 43% in July/August to 38% in November/December.
In contrast, the percentage of respondents who believed that one “can avoid getting Covid-19” increased from 82% in July/August to 84% in November/December.
TimesLIVE