New Delhi, Mar 30 (IANS): As we head close to the end of the first week of the three-week nationwide lockdown to contain the coronavirus outbreak, 45.8% of people believe the threat from the coronavirus is not exaggerated.
While 44.3% people who were approached for the IANS C-VOTER Gallup International Association Corona Tracker, feel the significance attached to the COVID-19 threat is exaggerated.
This shows the perception of the threat, in the backdrop of dramatic increase in the number positive coronavirus cases domestically and internationally, has not yet become unanimous.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had imposed an unprecedented 21-days lockdown on March 25 to curb the spread of coronavirus. The decision was aimed at completely halting the movement of people to stem the transmission of the coronavirus in the community.
According to a survey conducted by IANS C-VOTER Gallup International Association Corona Tracker, a question focusing on the belief of the people on the threat from the coronavirus is exaggerated was put before people last week. People expressed their opinion in five categories –- don't know/ can't say, strongly agree, agree, disagree and strongly disagree.
Similar question was put out to people in the middle of March, surprisingly then 59.7% agreed that the threat from the coronavirus is exaggerated, which has been reduced to 44.3%. Therefore, in the index of complacency it registered a change in negative, -15.4.
On the contrary, at that same time, 35.5% disagreed that the threat from the coronavirus is exaggerated. This dramatically increased to 45.8% in the last week, registering a positive increase, 10.3. Therefore, the change in the index of complacency is -25.7.
The perception of the threat from coronavirus is extremely important at this stage when government is actively screening people infected and also strengthening health infrastructure to combat its spread.
Since December there has been 33,997 deaths globally with 29 in India, while positive cases are 7,22,435 worldwide.