The fear of contracting Covid-19 is dear in the United States. A study, conducted by researchers and published by Bloomberg (taken from Les Echos and Le Figaro) on 25 October, reveals that the fear of contracting Covid-19 would have prevented 3 million people from going to work this year, or 2% of the active population. This phenomenon, called “Long social distancing” by the researchers behind the study would have resulted in a loss of $ 250 billion in the United States in the first six months of the year.
The fear of a long Covid
The monthly survey conducted by the same group of researchers shows that 60% of respondents do not intend to fully resume their activities before the coronavirus pandemic. Getting into a crowded elevator, taking public transport is no longer possible for them.
This “long social distancing” is often motivated by a contagion with a long Covid or by an entourage affected by the phenomenon. A Brookings Institute report also indicates that nearly 4 million Americans have left the job market due to a persistent form of the disease. “Although many Americans have largely gone through the pandemic, its long-term economic and social impacts remain profound, especially for the millions of people struggling to fully recover from Covid-19,” highlighted Bloomberg. The United States has recorded one million deaths from coronavirus.
