Recent findings suggest that even if Canadians believe COVID-19 will negatively impact collective mental health and the economy, they feel it will serve as a catalyst for online shopping and public mask wearing when the pandemic sees its end.
The research was collected via phone survey and conducted by the Canadian Hub for Applied and Social Research at the University of Saskatchewan. The survey polled approximately a thousand people over the first two weeks of March. it's main focus - what kind of long-term impacts would the pandemic leave on aspects of everyday life.
"Given that vaccinations are now starting to roll out, people are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel," said research director Jason Disano. "It seems like a great opportunity to really get a sense of how people are feeling in terms of what life may or may not look like post-COVID."
People were asked to picture what a world with COVID-19 better-managed and under control, would look like. They were prompted to decide whether or not the pandemic would negatively, positively or trigger zero impact at all regarding various aspects.
Disano said some of the results offered little surprises, especially answers concerning mental health and overall well-being. 72 percent of the respondents concluded that COVID-19 would leave a negative impact, while 18 percent predicted a positive impact. Over 60 percent of were pessimistic regarding how the economic effects as well as travel abroad. Just over 50 percent noted the pandemic will leave lasting negative impacts on personal finances.
Disano said that no one really knows what the economy will look like post-pandemic and added that there were fascinating findings regarding child education - while 63 percent felt positive about changes to the transmission of online learning, it would ultimately, be detrimental to children's schooling.
61 percent of respondents believed the pandemic would the push the public to carry on with mask wearing, even beyond the pandemic. 76 percent thought the pandemic would be favorable to online shopping, while 72 percent felt the same towards alternative workplace environments and settings.
As a whole, the data illustrates how differently Canadians can feel regarding the pandemic and its effects on their lives, while also painting a picture of uncertainty of what the country will look like post-pandemic.