Majority feel they’re well informed on Covid-19

Almost nine in ten (85%) people rate their own knowledge about Covid-19 as 'good' or 'very good', up from 72% in March, find UCL researchers as part of the Covid-19 Social Study. This contrasts with just 5% who think they have poor or very poor knowledge, down from 10% in March, the start of the first lockdown. Throughout the pandemic, self-rated knowledge has consistently been highest amongst adults over the age of 30 (86% vs 74% of adults aged 18-29) and slightly higher amongst people with physical health conditions (87% vs 81% of those without conditions), who may feel they are more at risk from the virus and therefore want to understand it more. It is the UK's largest study into how adults are feeling about the lockdown, government advice and overall wellbeing and mental health with over 70,000 participants who have been followed across the last 38 weeks. Lead author, Dr Daisy Fancourt (UCL Epidemiology & Health Care) said: "Knowledge of Covid-19 among the general public is an important factor in combatting the virus. With this in mind, it's encouraging to see that the majority of people rate their own knowledge of Covid-19 as 'good' or 'very good'. "If people are well-informed about the virus, particularly how it spreads and how dangerous it can be, they are more likely to take the necessary precautions to prevent catching or spreading it themselves.