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Reaction to Covid-19
Q. Which of the following is closer to your personal views of the Covid-19 outbreak?
06/04 | 29/03 | 22/03 | |
There has been an over-reaction to the threat of Covid-19 | 17% | 18% | 33% |
The response to the threat of Covid-19 is about right | 46% | 39% | 39% |
The threat of Covid-19 has been under-estimated | 37% | 43% | 28% |
Base (n) | 1,069 | 1,086 | 1,034 |
Gender | Age Group | ||||||
Total | Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | ||
There has been an over-reaction to the threat of Covid-19 | 17% | 20% | 14% | 28% | 17% | 11% | |
The response to the threat of Covid-19 is about right | 46% | 45% | 47% | 43% | 46% | 47% | |
The threat of Covid-19 has been under-estimated | 37% | 35% | 39% | 29% | 36% | 42% | |
Base (n) | 1,069 | 523 | 546 | 341 | 342 | 386 | |
- There has been an increase in the proportion of women rating the reaction to the Covid-19 crisis to be about right (47%, up from 36% last week).
- This increase has mainly come from a decrease in the proportion of women thinking the threat has been under-estimated (declining from 47% to 39%).
Reaction to Covid-19
Q. Which of the following is closer to your personal views of the Covid-19 outbreak?
Gender | Age Group | Location | |||||||
Total | Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | Capital | Non-Capital | ||
There has been an over-reaction to the threat of Covid-19 | 33% | 36% | 30% | 39% | 37% | 23% | 34% | 30% | |
The response to the threat of Covid-19 is about right | 39% | 40% | 39% | 40% | 33% | 44% | 39% | 39% | |
The threat of Covid-19 has been under-estimated | 28% | 24% | 32% | 21% | 30% | 33% | 27% | 31% | |
Base (n) | 1,096 | 519 | 515 | 342 | 327 | 365 | 703 | 331 | |
- A third of people believe there has been an over-reaction to the threat of Covid-19. Men (36%) and those aged 18-34 (39%) are more likely to think there has been an over-reaction than women (30%) and those aged 55+ (23%).
- 39% think the reaction has been proportionate to the threat and 28% believe the threat has been under-estimated.
- Those who think there has been an over-reaction are less concerned about the threat of Covid-19 (69% very/somewhat concerned, compared to 92% who think the threat has been under-estimated) and think they are less likely to contract the virus (38% to 49% very/somewhat likely to catch Covid-19).

COVID-19 RESEARCH
Read Essential's ongoing research on the public response to Covid-19.
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Two Party Preferred:
Labor
45%
Coalition
48%
In this week's report:
- Performance of Scott Morrison
- Performance of Anthony Albanese
- Preferred Prime Minister
- Top Federal Government priorities for 2021
- Uptake of a Covid-19 vaccine
- Perceptions of change in the standard of living for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
- Changing views towards Australia Day
- Support towards a separate national day
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