Coronavirus: One in two thought pandemic would be over in 6 months at start of lockdown, study shows

More than one in two Britons thought the coronavirus pandemic would be over within six months when the UK first went into lockdown, new statistics show.

Just 11 per cent thought it would be 12 months before the global health crisis was resolved in early April, an Office for National Statistic (ONS) study reveals. 

This has changed dramatically in the interim, with more than one in three (37 per cent) believing in late August that life won’t return to normal for another year, while just 14 per cent thought it will only be another six months.

While people have increasingly come to terms with recognising the pandemic as a long-term crisis, the study shows uncertainty has been a consistent theme since Boris Johnson announced a national lockdown on 23 March.

One respondent said they lacked "any idea about when and how things might "return to normal".

Alongside predictions about the pandemic, the study also provides an indication of the nation’s mental health, with anxiety, happiness and loneliness levels all charted.

Anxiety and unhappiness were at their highest level at the beginning of lockdown.

Unable to leave the house except for essential shopping and daily exercise, people’s mental health suffered. One respondent said: “Am unable to do any of the things which normally fill my life and keep loneliness at bay, i.e. visiting friends, shopping, visiting places of interest, seeing children.”

While the easing of lockdown was welcome news for some, others found it difficult, and loneliness levels rose in mid-June, with one in five reporting feeling lonely. Feelings of aloneness for those who were self-isolating, or otherwise remaining at home, may have worsened because many others were going out again.

“My neighbour has little to no regard for the rules and frequently has large gatherings of people breaking social distancing, drinking together outside my home," one respondent said. 

Another person said they worried about going outside in case others didn’t respect social distancing.

Meanwhile, concern about the future was the most common factor affecting people’s mental well-being during the pandemic – ahead of spending too much time alone, strained relationships, boredom, loneliness and anxiety.

As the government once again encourages remote working for those able to do so,  the study found that by the end of August, 57 per cent of adults were travelling to work, compared to 36 per cent in late May.