SWS: Filipinos worried over COVID-19 increase to 91%

Ninety-one percent of Filipino adults said that they were worried that anyone in their immediate family would be infected with COVID-19, the national Social Weather Survey conducted in September showed.

According to the Social Weather Stations, the percentage of those worried about their loved ones getting COVID-19 increased by four points from the 87 percent who said they were so worried in June.

The SWS poll, conducted from September 12 to 16, revealed that 76% worried a great deal and 15% somewhat worried.

Five percent are not worried and 4% are a little worried.

The latest figure of those worried about catching the virus tied the record-high level reached in November 2020.

The SWS survey showed that worry about getting infected with COVID-19 was greater than worries about catching previous viruses such as ebola, swine flu, bird flu, and severe acute respiratory syndrome.

Worry about catching COVID-19 rose in all areas, with the highest percentage in the Visayas at 85%, followed by Mindanao at 94%, Metro Manila at 91%, and Balance Luzon at 88%.

Worry also increased across all educational levels with college graduates at 95% from 79%, junior high school graduates at 90% from 88%, elementary graduates at 91% from 89%, and non-elementary graduates at 87% from 85%.

The SWS also found that those fearing "the worst is yet to come" with the COVID-19 pandemic rose to 60% in September 2021 compared to the 39% in June 2021. This surpassed the previous worst of 57% in July 2020.

Meanwhile, those saying "the worst is behind us" fell from 59% in June 2021 to 38% in September 2021, which was the lowest since the record-low 35% in July last year.

According to SWS, Filipinos are more worried about contracting COVID-19 than Americans, with only 40% of adult Americans worried based on the August 2021 survey of Gallup.

The survey was conducted using face-to-face interviews of 1,200 Filipino adults, with 300 each in Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

The sampling error margins were at ±3% for national percentages and ±6% for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

The SWS poll coincided with the surge in COVID-19 cases in the country due to the highly transmissible Delta coronavirus variant.

Several hospitals in the country experienced critical level of healthcare occupancy rate amid the spike in cases.

A number of hospitals temporarily suspended accepting COVID-19 patients in August with their wards at full capacity. -NB, GMA News