Two-thirds of Russians believe in coronavirus as a biological weapon - Levada

Russians are less and less afraid of contracting the coronavirus, but two-thirds of their fellow citizens believe that the virus was artificially created as a new form of biological weapon, a showed in February. Levada Center poll

43% of respondents are afraid of contracting the coronavirus, 56% are not afraid, this is the highest figure since February 2020. Then 68% were not afraid, and in October 2020 - only 34% of respondents.

28% of Russians do not personally know anyone who had COVID-19, according to a February survey. 17% of the respondents said that they themselves or one of their cohabitants had been ill, while close relatives or friends had the infection in 22%. Another 42% of respondents spoke about colleagues or acquaintances who had been ill.

The version that the coronavirus was artificially created as a new form of biological weapon is held by 64% of Russians surveyed, and in all age groups, but this version is most popular among the older generation. Only 23% of respondents believe in the natural origin of the coronavirus.

• Fewer people are willing to be vaccinated with the Russian Sputnik V vaccine compared to the end of last year, a Levada poll showed. If in December last year 38% of respondents were ready to do this, then in February 2021 their share fell to 30%, and the number of those who were not ready increased from 58% to 62%. At the same time, 4% of respondents admitted that they had already been vaccinated. Young people are less willing to be vaccinated than other age groups.

• The main reason for not getting vaccinated is considered by the respondents to be the threat of side effects - 37% of those who are not ready to be vaccinated said this in February, although in December there were only 29% of such people. Another 23% of respondents are not ready to be vaccinated because they want to wait until the end of the test (30% said this in December). 16% of respondents simply do not see the point in getting vaccinated against coronavirus, by 4 p.p. more than in December last year.

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Why no one is in a hurry to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, and not only in Russia, we told here .