More polling like this will add to pressures on ministers

The Standard is reporting a new study by Kings College London and Ipsos-MORI on how the public is coping with the lockdown restrictions. Overall there was strong, 89%, backing but a number of possible health issues were highlighted. In particular the study found:

• 49% said they were more anxious and depressed
• 38% said they were having less sleep
• 35% said they were eating more or less healthy food than normal
• 22% said they had financial worries because of shutdown
• 19% said they were drinking more booze than normal
• 19% said they were arguing more than normal with those they lived with

Half the sample said they expected it to be a year or more before things returned to normal.

Kelly Beaver of Ipsos Mori said “It’s becoming clear that people are beginning to suffer due to the restrictions stemming from the Covid-19 outbreak. It’s incredibly concerning that half of people say they are feeling more anxious or depressed.”

I don’t think that any of this is a surprise but all of this will be a factor when ministers look at how long it will last. The problem the government has is that with the daily death toll as high as it becomes hard to ease the measures.

Mike Smithson