LOCHEM/APELDOORN – The feeling of solidarity has decreased, but residents of the North and East Gelderland region are more resilient than earlier this year. This is apparent from the 8th corona poll by GGD Noord- en Oost-Gelderland, which was held from 4 to 11 November.
During the corona crisis, the GGD is mapping out the consequences of the crisis. The corona polls started in March 2020. The 8th poll was held in November. This shows that the sense of belonging has decreased. In May, 19% of the inhabitants experienced more togetherness in society. Now it is only 10 percent.
Resilience
Resilience, in other words the ability to deal with stress and adversity, is in good shape: 81% of the inhabitants have an average to high resilience. That is an increase compared to May. At that time it was still 78%. Resilience increases with age. Men, cohabitants and the highly educated also more often have a high degree of resilience. 39% of people with complaints have had themselves tested at a GGD test location, the study shows. That is comparable to the results in May 2021. The difference is that in November 2021 more and more people have taken a self-test.
Testing
People who had flu-like symptoms in the two weeks prior to the study and who have not been tested give various reasons for this. Half of the vaccinated people indicate that they have not been tested because they have been vaccinated against corona. Reasons mentioned by both vaccinated and non-vaccinated are: ‘the complaints were due to something else’ (53%); ‘I had already done a self-test and did not consider it necessary to be tested’ (38%) and ‘the complaints were not serious enough’ (38%). The GGD emphasizes that it remains important that everyone with complaints is tested.
Self test
You can test with complaints at a GGD test location, but people with mild complaints may also use a self-test. Mild complaints are: nose cold, runny nose, sneezing, sore throat, mild cough or an increase to 38 degrees. If the self-test is positive, an additional test must always be performed at a GGD test location. This also applies to anyone who has been vaccinated or has already had corona. Two out of three people who are (or have been) infected with the coronavirus have (had) mild complaints. 30% has (had) residual complaints for a long time. More than one in three residents find it difficult to estimate how bad the infection will be for them. “I do not know to what extent I will get corona if I become infected. Does it stay with mild complaints or does it become severe. That is unpredictable, so I remain alert and adhere to the basic rules,” said a 63-year-old woman who was questioned by the GGD.
Measures
The research shows that the percentage of people who think that too few measures are being taken to reduce the infection rates has risen sharply compared to May. At the time, 10 percent thought this was the case. In November, almost half (46%) thought there were too few measures. The investigation took place when the mouth cap became mandatory again in shops, but the current evening lockdown was not yet there. About a fifth (18%) of those surveyed think that there are too many measures, which was also the case in May.
Of the participants, 93% indicate that they have been vaccinated or plan to be vaccinated. More than two in three residents believe that everyone should be vaccinated against corona. Half of the inhabitants believe that vaccination should remain a free choice. A 50-year-old man describes it as follows: “In principle, everyone is responsible for themselves and has self-determination over their own body. This does not alter the fact that there is also a responsibility for society as a whole, but that should not lead to forced vaccination.”
young people
The average rating that people give their lives is 7.4. “Despite the corona period, I feel good, healthy and I am having a great time,” said a 40-year-old participant in the study. Younger age groups are less likely to give their lives a pass than the over-65s. This is a trend that the GGD Noord- en Oost-Gelderland has been observing since the start of the pandemic. Young people are more often afraid, feel lonely more often and experience more stress. A 19-year-old gives her life a 4 and says: “I miss freedom, I focus too much on my work because I can’t do much at the moment. I want to be able to travel and do things without obligations.”
The full report can be read on the GGD website: www.ggdnog.nl.
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