Hungary has very poor prospects for the second wave of the epidemic

The country uses a different defense in the second wave of the coronavirus than during the first wave. While we tried to quell the epidemic in the spring by radically and immediately reducing public interactions, we are currently taking selective measures rather than rules of thumb. This is necessary primarily to avoid a deeper economic recession, but it is also an important question of how well you will be able to curb the epidemic.

The success of the defense does not depend mainly on the measures, but on their observance. We don’t see much stricter measures in early fall than in summer, but logic would dictate that your willingness to comply has increased compared to the summer months due to the increasing number of cases. In the coming weeks, the question will be whether the willingness to follow the rules and recommendations will increase compared to the summer, when the epidemic broke out, and whether it will be able to slow the spread.

According to Ipsos research, this is not the case so far, and the willingness to follow the various rules and recommendations is waning even compared to the end of the summer.

According to the research, for example, the willingness to wear a mask decreased more in September than in August. In the first month of fall, 83% of the population said they wore a mask. But there was also a greater decrease in willingness to refrain from washing and shaking hands, and the interviewer measured a decrease in compliance with each of the epidemiologically relevant precautions.

Compared to spring, this relationship is even worse. In addition to the use of masks, frequent hand washing and avoiding handshakes, there is a return to the pre-epidemic situation in all other areas, despite the increasing number of cases, writes Ipsos in the research brochure.

Research shows that women wash their hands more frequently (87%) than men (81%) and also avoid contact with other people to a greater extent (34% and 26%). Men, on the other hand, are more likely to avoid public transport than women (47% and 41%, respectively). Adults under 30 years old enter the community more courageously than the average, but they also follow basic precautions such as wearing a mask (87%) or washing their hands frequently (81%). As we know, the second wave of the epidemic has basically exploded among the young.

Among the administrative regions of the country, the population of Western Transdanubia largely avoids handshakes (85%) and public transport outstandingly (59%), writes the public opinion researcher. Parents in South and West Transdanubia keep their children away from community activities more strictly than average (20% and 19%), and in this context they would be more concerned about closing schools again. The population of Budapest is generally more mobile and boldly enters the community, but is at the forefront of defense, especially in the use of protective masks (95%).

The survey was conducted before the rules on the use of masks were tightened. Thus, the hardening of the authorities and the number of cases approaching a thousand probably have not yet appeared in the results of the investigation, so we can only hope that these low-cost precautions will be observed by a greater proportion of the population. In the next weeks.

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