A RECENT survey has shown that the majority of people believe that those who have contracted coronavirus have been 'careless' and 'reckless' with public health guidelines and, effectively, only have themselves to blame.
According to research carried out by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), more than 70% of those surveyed said that Covid-19 sufferers had been reckless with their behaviour, rather than just unfortunate.
The study looked at over 1,000 adults in Ireland during July, and examined how they felt about the nation's trace and test system.
It found that almost half of people do not know that calling their GP to discuss symptoms of Covid-19 is free and over one third think they could be charged for a test.
The study found overwhelming public support for the system, but just 3% were able to answer all comprehension questions correctly.
Fear of being blamed may be a barrier to arranging a test quickly when symptoms appear, the survey found.
Younger adults were more likely to be affected by the issues identified.
People in their 20s and 30s were less likely to know the GP consultation is free, more likely to believe getting tested would be a hassle and uncomfortable, more pessimistic about result waiting times and more worried about being identified by their close contacts.
Dr Shane Timmons of the ESRI’s behavioural research unit said: "The public overwhelmingly agree that the test-and-trace system is vital for controlling the spread of Covid-19, but misconceptions about the system could mean people don’t seek a test as quickly as possible.
"You should call any GP or out-of-hours service straight away if you suspect that you might have symptoms – doing so is free and can help make sure you don’t spread the virus to someone else."
