Only One in Five Brits Self-Isolates

A survey that’s been running since March has found that a shockingly low number of Brits actually self-isolate when experiencing COVID-like symptoms such as fever and coughing. Only 18 percent followed through on staying home if they had been sick in the seven days before the survey. This is despite 70 percent of respondents claiming they would self-isolate if they were to develop symptoms.

The figures are averages of 15 survey waves carried out between early March and early August of this year. A closer look shows that self-isolation when experiencing symptoms has actually decreased from a high of 20-25 percent in May and June to only around 15-16 percent in late July and early August.

The most common reasons for leaving the house while experiencing COVID-like symptoms were grocery shopping or visiting the pharmacy, other medical needs besides COVID-19 and the idea that mild symptoms did not require isolation.

The makers of the survey, which hail from a variety of British universities and health institutions, also said that only around 60 percent of Brits correctly identified a cough and a fever as COVID-19 symptoms. Only around 50 percent also knew that a loss of taste and smell was a symptom for COVID-19. Males and younger people were less likely to self-isolate, request a test or inform contacts of a possible exposure, according to the survey.