Survey shows rising levels of anxiety in Britain about impact of COVID-19

The number of people in the United Kingdom expressing high levels of concern about the novel coronavirus has more than doubled according to new research.

Mintel, a market research agency, found between Feb 28 and March 13 that 14 percent of British adults were extremely concerned about the risk of being exposed to the virus.

But, between March 20 and March 25, 31 percent said they were extremely concerned.

The survey also found that only 5 percent of respondents said they were not worried at all when asked in late March, down from 15 percent in early March.

Mintel said only 6 percent of men aged 65 and older were extremely worried about exposure to the virus in early March but 31 percent were by the end of the month.

Older women have consistently been among the most likely to exhibit extreme concern about exposure to the virus, the survey said, with 44 percent of females aged 65 and older being worried about the virus in late March, which was up from 13 percent.

Jack Duckett, associate director of consumer lifestyles research at Mintel, said the results came as "little surprise", as the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths surged during March in the UK.

"Most notable has been the rise in concern amongst older adults, and in particular, older men, a group that has previously been among the least engaged with their health and wellbeing," Duckett said. "For this group, there is no escaping that they are highly vulnerable to this virus, not only due to their age but because there is a higher incidence of chronic underlying health conditions."

The research also showed that more than a third of Britons were extremely concerned about the outbreak's impact on their lifestyles.

But Duckett said that, despite the challenges of the lockdown and social distancing measures, people in the UK were "generally very resilient".

"While levels of strain are, undoubtedly, heightened, people are finding ever-more creative ways of keeping connected and their stress levels in check," he said, noting a surge in the popularity of digital platforms and video calls.

Almost four in five respondents also reported washing their hands more often, according to the survey, and 47 percent said they were using hand sanitizers more frequently.

Meanwhile, 7 percent of those surveyed reported wearing facemasks, with the proportion rising to 18 percent among Londoners. Overall, fewer than one in 10 consumers reported making no changes at all as a result of the virus.