Poll: Brazilians bracing for worst-case economic scenario

Brazilians are more worried about the consequences of Covid-19 on the local and global economies than with their own health, according to poll by Croma Insights Insititute. According to the survey, which consulted 2,973 people between February 15 and March, 94 percent of Brazilians were worried about the impacts of the pandemic on the Brazilian economy, while 9 percent were concerned about their health, and 17 percent with their families. 

As the poll was conducted in stages, the institute was able to see a deterioration in expectations during the period. At the beginning of the month, 37.4 percent of interviewees believed that the global economy would face very negative impacts; that percentage increased to 51.2 percent by the end of the period. 

Consumption habits have also been changing, as people are buying more hygiene products. Hand sanitizer purchases jumped by 94 percent, protective masks by 54 percent, followed by soaps with a 51 percent increase. 

Among the behavior changes adopted by people is avoiding crowds, rescheduling trips, and avoiding contact with people that visited areas affected by the outbreak. Despite these changing habits, 38 percent of people felt unprepared to deal with Covid-19.

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