61% Indians Feel Angry, Upset & Depressed Due To Massive Surge In Covid-19 Cases: Survey

New Delhi: The COVID-19 caseload in India is surging at an unprecedented pace, crumbling its weak health infrastructure. The highest daily caseload India saw last year was 97,400 on September 10, which has grown by over 4-fold to more than 400,000 now. What is extremely worrying is the pace at which the 2nd wave has hit India.

From 16,000 reported cases on March 14 to over 25 times at 402,000 in just 45 days has wreaked havoc that no one imagined. 

Based on information reported by citizens on LocalCircles, many individuals are showing symptoms without exposure to others, showing symptoms within a day of coming in contact with someone. 

To quantify how people of India are currently feeling given the state of affairs, LocalCircles conduced a bottoms up survey. It also asked people about their views on whether experts in India have an understanding of the 2nd COVID wave in terms of its root cause and how things are likely to evolve in the coming months. The survey received more than 25,000 responses from people located in 324 districts of India.

61% Indian feeling angry, upset, depressed or worried as COVID 2nd wave wreaks havoc in the country

With shortage of all things COVID ranging from oxygen to hospital beds and from medicines to crematorium space, the pain that people are experiencing is extremely high. With lockdown-like restrictions being imposed in many states, people have started to also fear about their livelihoods, jobs, to endure the pandemic. 

The first question in the survey aimed to understand the collective pulse of citizens on their current situation facing 2nd wave of COVID-19 in India. In response, 23% said “anxious or worried”, 8% said “depressed, gloomy or sad”, 20% said “upset and angry”, 10% said “extremely angry”, and 7% said “calm or peaceful”. Breaking down the poll, 28% feel “optimistic and hopeful”. Only 3% said “none of the above”, and 1% couldn’t say. The findings of the poll indicate that 61% of Indians are feeling angry, upset, depressed or worried as COVID 2nd wave wreaks havoc in the country. This question in the survey received 8,141 responses.

Citizens split on whether India is on the right track in handling the 2nd wave of COVID-19

the second question in the survey sought citizen’s response if they believe that the Government of India is on the right track as far as handling the 2nd wave of COVID-19 is concerned. In response, 41% said “Yes”. There were also 45% of citizens who said “No”, while 14% couldn’t say. The aggregate response indicates that citizens are split on whether India is on the right track in handling the 2nd wave of COVID-19. 

The 41% on the other hand who believe that India is on the right track state that all of this took India by big surprise and India is now enabling more hospital beds, oxygen supplies and healthcare staff, local lockdowns which should help in recovering from the crisis. 

51% citizens unsure if experts in India have a handle on what is causing the massive 2nd surge in Covid cases

LocalCircles asked citizens how confident they were that the experts in India have a handle on the root cause that is causing this surge. In response, 18% said “highly confident”, 25% said “somewhat confident”, and 28% said “very little confidence”. Breaking down the poll, 23% of citizens said “not confident at all”, while 6% couldn’t say. The findings of the poll indicate that 51% of citizens are unsure if experts in India have a handle on what is causing the massive 2nd surge in Covid cases. This question in the survey received 8,541 responses.

Summary: Findings of the survey indicate 61% of citizens are currently feeling angry, upset, depressed or worried amid 2nd COVID wave in India

Given the fast-deteriorating situation, citizens surveyed are split on whether India is on the right track in handling the 2nd wave of COVID-19. More feel it is not on the right track than the ones who feel it is which is a worrying situation indicating that people are losing confidence in India’s ability to come out of COVID fast. As a question to the main causes of havoc remains inconclusive, 51% of citizens conclude that they are unsure if experts in India have a handle on what is causing the massive 2nd surge in Covid cases. 

It is critical that India engages all possible resources internally and externally to not only deal with the rampant healthcare shortages but also to find out what is causing the 2nd COVID wave in terms of SARS-COV2 strains and then take decisive action to contain the spread.