As the number of Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases continue to rise and shoppers around the world begin to panic buy, the results of a new UK survey highlight the increased difficulties healthcare professionals face in the fight to stop new cases.
In the context of Coronavirus, a nationally representative sample of 2,000 participants were asked whether they would lie about their symptoms.
The results found that across the UK, over a third (33.8%) of possible Coronavirus patients would lie to their doctor or healthcare professional regarding the state of their heath.
Extrapolation based on the survey demographics (16-55+) reveals that 18.25 million Brits would have no problem lying to their doctor about COVID-19.
In terms of regions, Northern Ireland was the most comfortable at the thought of lying to their doctor (58.3% would lie), whereas Scotland was the honest (just 24.56% would lie).
With regards to ages, there were minor differences from Generation Z through to Generation X, however, the biggest difference was in the attitude amongst Boomers (55+), who were the least likely to lie to their doctor.
Across all ages, Men were more likely to lie to their doctor than Women (34.3% vs 33.0%).
The table below breaks down the demographics in full:
| Demographic | Would lie to their Doctor (%) |
| 16-24 | 35.87% |
| 25-34 | 34.29% |
| 35-44 | 36.88% |
| 45 -54 | 31.25% |
| 55+ | 28.57% |
| UK Average | 33.77% |
NHS Guidelines for Coronavirus are to:
- Wash your hands with soap and water often – do this for at least 20 seconds
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze.
- Put used tissues in the bin straight away and wash your hands afterwards
- Try to avoid close contact with people who are unwell
If you suspect you have Coronavirus, call 111
You can view additional survey results on the National Lying Survey Website
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