The last of the ‘COVID-19 Global Impact Research’, which aims to shed light on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on health and well-being perceptions, was carried out in this period when vaccine and vaccination studies gained momentum all over the world.
According to the report; While financial difficulties continue to be the biggest cause of concern due to Covid-19, people seem to miss their pre-pandemic lives more, especially when it comes to work. While the desire to work from home decreased compared to the first periods of the pandemic, it is seen that the habit of exercising, which was on the rise in the first period of the pandemic, decreased. While the longing for a return to the past increases, the family continues to be in the focus of everyone. Research; In addition to general health services, it shows that people’s desire to receive services such as therapy and psychological counseling online, as well as general health advice such as nutrition and lifestyle tips, is on the rise.
Cigna Global, one of the partners of Cigna Health Life and Pension in Turkey, with its roots in insurance dating back 200 years, serving more than 180 million customers in more than 30 countries, has published the results of the fifth “Cigna COVID-19 Global Impact Research”. Cigna, which stepped into the health insurance business in Turkey with the inpatient and outpatient treatment coverages of Cigna Complementary Health Insurance, which covers all epidemics such as Covid-19, also supports its goal of being there for our customers in every area they need, with global research.
Within the scope of the research, which is the last of Cigna’s research series carried out on a global scale to better understand the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on people all over the world; More than 25,000 people were interviewed from 11 locations, including China, Hong Kong, Korea, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and the United States, from November to December 2020.
In this period, where vaccination and vaccination studies gained momentum all over the world, research; Examining individuals’ perspectives on family, finance, physical condition, social situation and work, it reveals the early effects of the discovery of the vaccine and draws attention to the growing longing for normalcy in life before the pandemic.
Financial difficulties remain top concern due to Covid-19
While the economic impact of curfews and bans continues to be felt around the world, financial security remains a top concern for individuals. According to the research results; 49 of the participants state that their current financial situation worries them. Less than a quarter (22) of respondents are confident that they can maintain their standard of living, while only 28 of respondents say they can afford to pay for their home loans or housing expenses. Only 19 of the respondents are able to plan for financial needs for medical purposes, and only one-fifth (20) state that they have financial security in emergencies such as being unable to work or losing their job.
Working from home is not as attractive as it used to be
The research reveals that people miss their pre-pandemic life more, especially in terms of work. Looking at the previous research results; By mid-2020, when the first wave of the pandemic began to end, people were largely choosing to work remotely. In this preference, the flexibility of working remotely and the pleasure of spending time with their families came to the fore. But the results of the latest study show that 53 percent of people now want to work from the office at least 80 of their working hours. More effective communication, better team collaboration and higher productivity are cited as the main reasons for this preference.
Increasing interest in online health and wellness applications
While different health models have taken their place in our lives, online health service has become a method widely accepted by leading health care institutions all over the world. Cigna Health Life and Pension Inc. Pınar Kuriş, General Manager, said, “The experience we had last year has profoundly changed people’s health expectations. Many people now prefer to have online meetings with healthcare professionals instead of meeting face to face. This choice presents an undisputed opportunity to adapt to the healthcare journey that patients will choose in the future. It provides a better health service to the individual under the most suitable conditions, especially by coming to the fore in issues such as general health, mental health and healthy life support.” said. Stating that their commitment as Cigna is to provide the service their customers need at any time and under all conditions, Kuriş said, “At this point, we want to be the reference point for a comprehensive, easily accessible, safe and feel-good service with the firsts we offer in the field of health insurance. With the Online Doctor and Online Psychologist Services we offer free of charge along with the Complementary Health Insurance, it is only one of them that our customers can easily reach a specialist doctor or psychologist without leaving their home when they have a health problem.” he added.
While 59 of the respondents stated that they would prefer to be diagnosed with online services, this rate was 41 before the pandemic. In addition, if people have the opportunity to reach the doctor they always go to online, the rate of preferring online health services goes up to 73. There is also an increase in the use of online health and wellness apps for general health advice such as nutrition and lifestyle tips. Eighty percent of people state that they might consider interviewing online rather than face-to-face on these issues. There is a notable tendency to receive online mental health support, especially with services such as therapy and psychological counseling, with a rate of 69; states that global participants can consider or prefer online counseling sessions.
Exercise habit is on the decline
The research reveals that some of the positive habits people had at the beginning of the pandemic are now losing their effect. While rates of exercise increased at the beginning of the pandemic, this habit seems to have declined as of December 2020, leading to increased fatigue.
While the longing for a return to the past increases, the family continues to be in the focus of everyone. While everyone’s lives have changed tremendously due to the redefinition of the roles of working, parent, caregiver and educator with the pandemic, it seems that many have managed to form closer bonds with their loved ones. At 40, which is higher than previous studies, participants report having a great or very good time with their families.
Source: (BHA) – Beyaz News Agency
