23% of Russians called the coronavirus epidemic a fiction

At the same time, the number of those who have sick people among friends, relatives or acquaintances has tripled.

According to a study by the Higher School of Economics (HSE), 23.2% of Russians consider the coronavirus pandemic to be an invention of stakeholders. Another 9.6% believe that the danger of COVID-19 is exaggerated. About it writes RBC.

Of those who do not believe in the epidemic, 43% visit their relatives and more than half (54%) go for walks freely. 74.22% of the skeptical respondents believe that there was no need for self-isolation at all.

These numbers are based on a survey of over 30,000 people. people from all regions of Russia between the ages of 20 and 60.

The poll also showed that 25.6% of Russians believe that the peak of the epidemic is still ahead, and only 16.3% are sure that the threat is already declining. At the same time, over the past month, the share of Russians who have sick people among friends, relatives or acquaintances has also increased - this indicator increased from 4.9 to 16.6%.