As planned by the scientific community, the second coronavirus epidemic wave is hitting Europe this Fall. In France, the health emergency has been re-implemented and more and more restrictions are made up to the establishment of a curfew in some cities. As for them, Santé Publique France remind in their weekly epidemiologic briefs, the importance of observing health guidelines.
And yet, according to an Ifop inquiry for Unbottled*, French people are easing off as they are said to wash their hands less frequently than during lockdown. Therefor, 63% of them do it when coming back home against 86% back in March. Furthermore, there is a clear difference between anti-masks: only 30% of them wash their hands when coming back home; and pro-masks, 79% of them follow this recommendation.
Another surprising statistic: 77% of the French are said to wash their hands when leaving the latrines, against 81% in March. Yet, the statistics are stable as for washing one’s hands after taking public transit: 71% of the French do so.
A data correlates the observations made by Ile-de-France Regional Health Agency that noticed a slackening in respecting health guidelines in young adults. As 65% of the French are said to wash their hands before eating (against 81% in March), in 18-25, only 39% of them take this precaution against 67% in March.
Some health recommendations are also less and less frequently followed: using a disposable tissue is followed by 53% of the French in October, against 63% in March, coughing in your elbow or a tissue is a habit for 56% of the surveyed against 69% in March.
*Ifop inquiry for Unbottled conducted between October 6 and 7, 2020 online, in a representative sample group of 1,014 people aged 18+ living in mainland France.
