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COVID-19 pandemic: Population feels less safe

45/2021, 15.11.2021

Only about two out of five respondents of the BfR-Corona-Monitor believe they can protect themselves from an infection with the novel coronavirus

Currently, the number of reported coronavirus infections is increasing in Germany as well. At the same time, there is growing concern among the population about contracting the virus. This is shown by the 48th edition of the BfR-Corona-Monitor, a regular survey by the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR). While at the end of October more than half of the respondents felt safe or very safe from an infection, the current figure is only 42 percent. "The perceived likelihood of becoming infected through proximity to other people has increased again," says BfR-President Professor Dr. Dr. Andreas Hensel. "Currently, two-thirds of the respondents rate this likelihood as high or very high."

• BfR-Corona-Monitor - as to 9 - 10 November 2021 (868.1 KB)

In light of the current increase in the number of reported infections, the majority of respondents consider the measures to contain the coronavirus to be appropriate. In particular, the acceptance for cancelling events has increased by ten percentage points in the past two weeks and is now at 75 percent. The 2G rule, which is being applied in more and more regions of Germany,  is being met with greater approval. Currently, 65 percent consider the 2G rule to be appropriate - eight percentage points more than in the last survey at the end of October.

On the topic of the COVID-19 pandemic, personal conversations are becoming more important again. The proportion of people who obtain daily information about the pandemic through personal contacts is now 41 percent - an increase of ten percentage points compared to the end of October. Despite this prominent information behavior, the population's feeling of being informed about what is happening has declined: While in the last survey 54 percent felt well or very well informed, this is currently the case for only 46 percent.

The BfR has published FAQs on the topic of coronavirus:

• Can the new type of coronavirus be transmitted via food and objects?

About the BfR-Corona-Monitor

The BfR-Corona-Monitor is a recurring (multi-wave) representative survey on the risk perception of the population in Germany towards the novel coronavirus. Every week between 24 March and 26 May 2020, around 500 randomly selected people were asked by telephone about their assessment of the risk of infection and their protective measures, among other things. Since June 2020, the survey is continued every two weeks with about 1,000 respondents each. A summary of the data is regularly published on the homepage of the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment. More information about the method and sample can be found in publications about the BfR-Corona-Monitor.

About the BfR

The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) is a scientifically independent institution within the portfolio of the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) in Germany. It advises the German federal government and German federal states ("Laender") on questions of food, chemical and product safety. The BfR conducts its own research on topics that are closely linked to its assessment tasks.

This text version is a translation of the original German text which is the only legally binding version.

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