• 59% of people aged 18 to 64 believe that wearing a mask is primarily intended to protect others (by preventing the spread of infection to others in the event of an “asymptomatic” or “presymptomatic” infection),

• 35% believe that wearing a mask is primarily to protect oneself (by preventing infection from others, whether they are symptomatic, presymptomatic, or asymptomatic),

• 6% of respondents believe that wearing a mask serves no purpose (as the risk of infection and/or the effectiveness of wearing a mask are considered too low),

• The diversity of opinions expressed regarding mask-wearing (and the underlying factors) has a significant impact on compliance with mask-wearing: People who perceive that wearing a mask “is mainly to protect oneself” wear masks more consistently than those who perceive that wearing a mask “is mainly to protect others,” and far more so than those who perceive that wearing a mask “is pointless.”

A closer look at the opinions expressed reveals that:

• Men are more likely than women to believe that wearing a mask “serves no purpose”

• People with an education, particularly those with a college degree, are more likely to perceive that wearing a mask “is mainly to protect others”

• People who sometimes, or even never, follow vaccination recommendations believe that wearing a mask “is pointless”

• People who perceive COVID-19 as “not serious at all” are more likely to believe that wearing a mask “is pointless”; conversely, people who perceive COVID-19 as “very serious” are more likely to believe that wearing a mask “is mainly to protect oneself”

• People “at risk” of severe COVID-19 (smoking, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, chronic illness) and older adults (ages 50–64) do not more often perceive that wearing a mask “is mainly to protect oneself”

Note that these results are identical if the analysis is conducted without taking into account perceptions of the severity of COVID-19.

Source: CoVaPred Study, Survey V1 (representative sample of 2,000 adults aged 18–64 interviewed from June 26 to July 3).
Note: Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) estimated using a multinomial logistic model after adjusting for stratification variables in the survey (sex, age, highest level of education attained, household size, size of residential urban area, region of residence in metropolitan France) and the risk factors for severe COVID-19 reported in the survey (smoking, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, chronic disease, pregnancy).

Conclusion

Wearing a mask is becoming mandatory in many cities (August 2020) and workplaces (September 2020). The results of this study conducted in early July suggest that compliance with this new public health measure will be higher among people who perceive that wearing a mask “is mainly to protect oneself.” The results also suggest that people under 65 do not correctly identify when they are “at risk” of severe COVID-19 and, if so, the need to consistently wear a mask to “protect oneself.”

After excluding 294 (15%) respondents who reported having no relatives over the age of 65, an analysis of the responses from the remaining 1,706 (85%) respondents shows that a majority (71%) of people aged 18 to 64 avoid seeing their relatives over the age of 65. However, only 15% systematically avoid seeing them.

A more in-depth study of avoidance behavior reveals that:

• Differences in avoidance behavior among young adults are even more pronounced: adults aged 18 to 24 are three times more likely to report “systematically avoiding seeing their relatives over 65” compared to adults aged 55–64. Note that the results presented would not change if the analysis included people who reported having no relatives over 65

• The younger the adults, the more they avoid seeing their relatives over 65

• Compared to single people, those in a relationship are more likely to avoid seeing relatives over 65

• People who never follow vaccination recommendations are also less likely to protect their relatives over 65

• The tendency to avoid relatives over 65 is all the more pronounced the more people perceive that COVID-19 can be serious

It should also be noted that gender, education level, the size of the residential area, or the region of residence are not independently associated with the behavior of avoiding relatives over 65.

Source: CoVaPred Study, Survey V1 (representative sample of 2,000 adults aged 18–64 interviewed from June 26 to July 3).
Note: Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) estimated using a logistic model and adjusted for stratification variables in the survey (sex, age, highest level of education attained, household size, urban area size, region of residence in metropolitan France) and knowledge of infected individuals in the social circle.

Conclusion

People aged 65 or older are particularly at risk of severe COVID-19. Monitoring of the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic shows a resurgence of infections among young adults during the summer. However, the results of this study show that in early July, the young adult population with the highest infection rates is also the one that most avoids contact with people aged 65 and older to protect them.

After excluding 58 (3%) people who had already had COVID-19 and 245 (12%) people who reported not knowing what a chloroquine-based treatment is, an analysis of the responses from the remaining 1,697 (85%) people shows that:

• 57% of people aged 18 to 64 would not take (hydroxy)chloroquine for COVID-19,

• 43% of people remain convinced of the individual benefits of (hydroxy)chloroquine in the event of COVID-19 symptoms.

A more in-depth analysis of attitudes for or against (hydroxy)chloroquine reveals that:

• Pro-chloroquine attitudes are even more pronounced in the Southeast region, where respondents are twice as likely to say they are “certain they would take a chloroquine-based treatment if infected” than in the Île-de-France region. It should be noted that the results presented would not change if the analysis included people who stated they did not know what a chloroquine-based treatment is.

• A pro-chloroquine attitude is more common among those with no formal education.

• Smokers are more likely to adopt a pro-chloroquine attitude than non-smokers.

• People who do not always follow vaccination recommendations also adopt a pro-chloroquine attitude more often.

• In the context of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, a pro-chloroquine attitude is associated with the perception that masks are primarily useful for protecting oneself, or even useless.

• Compared to the rest of France, people living in the Southeast (including the Bouches-du-Rhône department) are more likely to hold a pro-chloroquine attitude.

It is also worth noting that gender, household size, risk factors for severe COVID-19, or the perception of the severity of COVID-19 are not associated as such with attitudes for or against chloroquine in the context of COVID-19.

It is also worth noting that gender, education level, the size of the residential urban area, or the region of residence are not independently associated with the behavior of avoiding close contacts over the age of 65.

Source: CoVaPred Study, Survey V1 (representative sample of 2,000 adults aged 18–64 interviewed from June 26 to July 3).
Note: Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) estimated using a logistic model and adjusted for stratification variables in the survey (gender, age, highest level of education attained, household size, urban area size, region of residence in metropolitan France), healthcare worker status, risk factors for severe COVID-19 reported in the survey (smoking, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, chronic disease, pregnancy), history of symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 or a COVID-19 test without medical confirmation of infection, knowledge of infected individuals in one’s social circle, and perception of the severity of COVID-19 in the event of infection.

Conclusion

In late May, health authorities decided to suspend the exceptional prescription of (hydroxy)chloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19. One month later, the results of this study suggest mixed support for this decision: 43% of people aged 18 to 64 remain convinced of the individual benefits of this treatment. The results of this study also suggest that a pro-chloroquine stance indicates a general opposition to public health recommendations (quitting smoking, vaccination, mask-wearing), exacerbated by educational level and societal controversy.