Urban India gives Covid lockdown a thumbs-up

A consumer research among urban Indians has found a near-all out support for the COVID lockdown, with 98 percent of those polled saying the shuttering has been effective in controlling the spread of the deadly virus. But a large number of those polled in the top 16 cities are worried about the economic fallout of the more than a month-long lockdown on their incomes and jobs.

The overall perception of the crisis recovery is 'good' on the health front and 'poor' on the economic front, said a report by market research firm TRA Research, which is into consumer insights and brand analytics. While 73 percent of those polled trust the government's ability to combat the crisis, the same for the government's economic ability to fight the battle is only 63 percent, showing that the fears of a long-term financial and economic impact are prominent in the minds of the people, the report said.

The survey conducted across 16 cities from April 10 to 22, among over 900 people, delves into their perceptions, attitudes, worries, fears, and expectations. According to the report, overall 91 percent feel that the lockdown is effective, while 98 percent of those polled in five cities feel its effectiveness is excellent. However, as much as 74 percent feel the overall implementation of the lockdown across cities is lower.

On the findings of the survey, N Chandramouli, chief executive of TRA Research said the survey shows big gaps in information and knowledge about the COVID transmission, especially in two age-brackets -- 21-24 years and 46-50 years. The same information gap is seen across cities, barring Mumbai. It is most important that parents take cognizance of the fact that children are going through extremely traumatic conditions during the lockdown, and need to take time and effort to explain and guide their kids through with empathy and love, Chandramouli said.

The highest concern for families across the cities is the fear of the contract the disease (74 percent), followed by job/business loss (68 percent), and delayed salary (62 percent). While Lucknow has the highest number of worried families at 85 percent, followed by Nagpur at 81 percent.