According to a survey conducted by Gallup Pakistan, 55 per cent of the Pakistanis believe that coronavirus threat is ‘exaggerated’.
Gallup Pakistan, in its Coronavirus Attitude Tracker Survey, has revealed that around 55 per cent of the Pakistanis believe that the coronavirus threat is ‘exaggerated’ and that it has been exacerbated by media and government officials.
As per the details, 57 per cent of the respondents of the survey belonged to Sindh, of which 65 per cent believed that the COVID-19 threat is exaggerated and is not as significant or serious as portrayed by media and government.
Furthermore, the survey revealed that 22 per cent of Pakistanis (one in every five) reported to have known someone from their social circle who had contracted the virus, whereas another finding reflected that the percentage is down to about 12 per cent.
In addition to the skepticism found in masses regarding the actual severity of pandemic, the survey also revealed that people also doubt government transparency over the issue of number of COVID-19 cases.
When inquired about the trust worthiness of government figures, 57 per cent of the respondents said that they believed the government statistics, whereas 32 per cent doubted the official figures provided by government authorities.
Moreover, the survey also covered the academic and economic effects of coronavirus lockdown. Around 74 per cent of the respondents said that they would send their kids to schools if they are opened, whereas this number significantly dropped down to 30 per cent in urban areas.
Around 47 per cent of the participants of the survey supported the easing of lockdown directives, meanwhile 48 per cent opposed the decision.
Over the issue of economic repercussions of COVID-19 pandemic, 88 per cent of the respondents reported that their gross household income has decreased, meanwhile 22 per cent acknowledged that they have reduced the amount or number of meals per day.
The survey also highlighted that around 22 million adults have sought some kind of help or financial assistance from their friend and family, whereas 2.1 million said that they had to sell some asset to meet their financial needs.
Pakistan has reported 181,088 coronavirus cases, with 71,458 recoveries and 3,590 deaths so far.
