The lengthening period of life in the shadow of the pandemic is not leading to a rise in anxiety about catching the coronavirus. Concern about becoming infected remains at a similar level to that in mid-March, when the wave of infections began. At present, over three fifths of those surveyed say they worry about catching the coronavirus (64%), and a fifth (20%) say they worry a lot. The level of anxiety was only fractionally lower on the cusp of May and June, or two and a half months ago (62% each).

Fear of infection is clearly more often a worry for women (71%) than men (56%), and over two fifths of the latter (43%) are not concerned about it at all. However, the biggest differences in anxiety levels concerning Covid-19 are those connected with age.

The lowest level of anxiety is characteristic for respondents up to the age of 24, of whom 70% are not concerned about getting infected. In the 25-34 age group, although those who say they are afraid of catching Covid-19 amount to more than half (51%), the percentage of those who are not worried about it is not very much smaller (47%). With every added decade, the worry within that age group is greater, with the over-65s, who are more likely to be very seriously ill, having the most people afraid of infection (77%) and only 23% who are not concerned.

Fear of the coronavirus is highest among those with the most basic (primary) education (72%). A little less concern was noted among those who had been to university (65%) or had completed vocational training (64%). Respondents with a secondary school education feel the least threatened: 59% are afraid of the disease, 40% are not worried.

Inhabitants of smaller places, villages and towns with a population below 20,000, are the most concerned about catching the virus (65% each), followed by mid-sized towns of 20,000-99,999 (67%). Anxiety is lower among those living in cities of 100,000-499,999 (60%) and even more so among dwellers of conurbations of half a million inhabitants or more (57%).

When it comes to differences based on employment or its lack, the greatest concern is among retired pensioners (78%) and those on long-term health and invalidity benefits (76%), followed by farmers (70%) and managers or specialists with higher education (67%). Least anxious are school and university students (64% are not worried about catching Covid-19), the unemployed (57%) and unskilled workers (50%).