According to the public survey, Lithuanians and Latvians are well informed about COVID-19 pandemic, concerned about the situation and mostly disturbed by the abstract issues related to the spread, control, effects of the virus and the future in general.
The surveys in Lithuania and Latvia was performed during the first weeks of COVID-19 crisis by scientists from Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania and Riga Stradins University, Latvia. Both – Lithuanians and Latvians – consider governmental institutions as one of the most important and reliable sources of COVID-19 information, and greater trust in governmental institutions is associated with less perceived fear related to COVID-19 pandemic at least in Lithuania.
Baltic countries were rather proactive while dealing with COVID-19 spread. For instance, on March 14 with 9 confirmed cases of COVID-19 Lithuanian government announced a two-week nationwide quarantine (which is still in effects as for now June 2nd) - borders were closed to foreign nationals as well as shops except pharmacies and groceries. In
Latvia, meanwhile, state of emergency was declared on the 12th of March: large public gatherings with over 200 people were banned and schools transitioned to a distance learning mode. Because to rather swift response to the pandemic, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia became one of the first blocks to reopen for regional traveling, forming „Baltic bubble“.
Governmental institutions among most trusted information sources
Online news portals, social networks, television, and governmental institutions were the main sources for COVID-19 information among the respondents in Lithuania and Latvia. However, respondents tended to be more cautious about reliability of the COVID-19 information presented in the media channels and social networks and reported greater trust in healthcare professionals, international organisations and governmental institutions for COVID-19 related information. This trend was more obvious in Lithuania than in Latvia, as in Latvia respondents demonstrated higher trust in TV and radio compared to Lithuanian survey results.
As many as nine out of ten of the study respondents in Lithuania (eight out of ten in Latvia) rated governmental institutions as reliable or very reliable source for COVID-19 information. Trust in the institutions that manage and communicate the crisis is essential and can determine the success of crisis management. This is positive news for governmental institution. On the other hand, it is important to understand that public trust is very fragile and can be easily lost, for example, by sharing promises that are not kept. Indeed, some other studies performed later in the crisis suggest much lower public trust in governmental organizations in Lithuania.
The least trustworthy sources of information about COVID-19 in Latvia and Lithuania were celebrities and influencers. Two thirds of respondents in Latvia and half of respondents in Lithuania think they are untrustworthy sources, and only 7% in Latvia and 12% in Lithuania think that they are partly trustworthy or trustworthy, adding in comments that in social media they follow doctors and researchers whom they trust.
Well informed about the COVID-19
Most respondents demonstrated good knowledge about the most threatened demographic groups, the most common ways of the spread of the virus, its symptoms as well as recommended protective means.
Respondents did not agree on the question whether face masks protect from the virus: in Latvia one fifth of respondents believed that masks must be used, almost half did not know whether it is necessary, and another large group of respondents thought that wearing a mask does not protect from the virus. Similar results were reported in Lithuania. These results, likely, reflect the contradictory information about the availability and usefulness of face masks.
Balance of knowledge: frames of fear and importance of positive stories
The survey also demonstrated that respondents in Lithuania, who express greater trust in governmental institutions, also reported less fear about the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, a lot of reassuring and positive rhetoric was heard from Lithuanian governmental institutions during the survey period. This probably explains our findings.
Meanwhile, consuming more TV news for COVID-19 information was associated with greater perceived fear about the COVID-19 pandemic. Fear narratives in health communication are common and can be sometimes effective for tackling certain public health issues, such as smoking, and use of alcohol and other psychoactive substances. However, constant cultivation of fear, anxiety and threat by media channels can have negative consequences for society. Not to mention the fact that we all are experiencing uncertainty and stress related to constant and increasing flow of COVID-19 related fake news and conspiracy theories.
The World Health Organisation and other experts are already warning of an impending global mental health crisis. Good stories, which are completely overshadowed by today's media, could create a calmer, more positive discourse in public space - after all, people are not only dying, they are also recovering from the COIVD-19 and successfully returning to their usual life, families and work.
Mostly concerned about global issues
Survey also showed that the majority of respondents are mostly concerned about more global and abstract issues that require global solutions rather than national challenges.
The study respondents in Lithuania were mostly concerned about the spread of the virus in Europe and globally, it’s impact on Lithuanian and global economy, uncertainty about the origin of the virus and its control, and the lack of a vaccine. Respondents were the least concerned about the closing of Lithuanian state borders, closing of schools, universities and public events, empty store shelves, lack of information and uncertainty about personal behaviour - “I don’t know how to protect myself and my loved ones”.
Lack of information from health care experts
Another important aspect of the study was that although respondents trusted in health professionals similarly as in governmental institutions or even more in Latvia, only third of respondents in Lithuania said they received COVID-19 information from them. This shows that the public expectation for information from health care experts is insufficiently met.
In addition, Lithuanian respondents who identified professionals in the health care system as a frequent source of information also rated the risk of COVID-19 as more threatening.
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The online survey was conducted in Lithuania on March 16-27, 2020, and in Latvia on April 9-20, 2020. At total of 770 respondents from Lithuania and 3483 from Latvia participated in the survey. These are the results of the first stage of the study. The study is ongoing with the goal to cover several periods of the COVID-19 pandemic. The demographic characteristics of the survey respondents: people representing different age groups, but who are mostly well-educated city residents, mostly females.
The study is being carried out by researchers from Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania together with partners from Riga Stradins University, Latvia and non-profit organization Cura te ipsum, Lithuania. Another research project COVID-19 distress thermometer is also being launched later in June and will be funded by the Research Council of Lithuania (grant agreement number P-COV-20-50).
The preliminary data from the study available here.
Authors:
Inesa Buneviciene and Alise Tifentale
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