How has COVID-19 impacted your life?

In order to assess the implications of the pandemic on the daily lives of people around the world, a worldwide survey called “Life with Corona” was launched about six months ago. The first results, obtained from 12 thousand responses from more than 130 countries, were recently released and revealed cultural and generational differences. The data obtained led to the conclusion that family stress during the pandemic falls, disproportionately, on women, that older people are less concerned with the new coronavirus and that Americans want to have priority in accessing a vaccine.

But the pandemic continues and there are still many implications to assess, so on October the 1st, the second phase of the investigation was launched. The aim is to reach a greater number of people worldwide and obtain more global data on the social and economic impact of COVID-19. Researchers therefore call on citizens to, in the name of Science, share their experiences. You can access and participate in the survey here.

The “Life with Corona” initiative came from a team of international researchers in the field of social sciences; from ISDC - Center for International Security and Development, from the World Institute for Research in Development Economics of the United Nations University (UNU-WIDER), from the Leibniz Institute for Vegetable and Ornamental Cultures (IGZ), and the Institute for Development Studies (IDS), and had the participation of institutions and organizations from various countries. In Portugal, it had our institute as a partner.

“Coronavirus has changed the lives and livelihoods of billions of people around the world, with unprecedented speed and strength. It is not just a medical pandemic, it is also a social pandemic”, stated Tilman Brück of the ISDC (International Security and Development Center) and the Leibniz Institute, which initiated this investigation.

“Our lives are changing rapidly, fundamentally and permanently. New sources of conflict are emerging within families, between generations and between countries. Even if we defeat the virus soon, its legacy will shape our societies for a long time. We want to document these changes in real time”, adds Wolfgang Stojetz, from the ISDC, who was responsible for analyzing data from the “Life with Corona” survey.

“Life with Corona” is a non-profit research project based on rigorous academic methods. It was created by researchers in order to record the voices and humor of citizens around the world during this unusual period of pandemic. The project will provide data to support sustainable socio-economic responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.