A vast majority of Central Virginians surveyed say they have not been tested for COVID-19 and have no symptoms, but a third say they have friends or family who have tested positive for the disease, according to a recent survey by the Center for Survey Research at the University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service.
The survey queried 683 residents of Charlottesville, and Albemarle, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa and Nelson counties between April 28 and May 5.
Questions were formulated with input from more than 300 BeHeardCVA participants and suggestions from several local non-profits, government agencies and health officials.
BeHeardCVA is the first survey panel in the state of Virginia. It is comprised of volunteer respondents, some of whom were recruited randomly through phone calls and mailings and others who signed up to participate.
The panel is designed to give voice to the diverse population in Central Virginia.
Not surprisingly, those who reported having friends or relatives testing positive for the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus were most in favor of keeping stay-at-home policies and restrictions on business operation in place, with 86% supporting the lock-down compared to 14% in favoring of opening up for business.
Of those who don’t personally know anyone exposed to the disease, 69.2% favored the restrictions while about 40% favored lifting them. Women were more likely to support the shut down and men more likely to want to reopen.
About 16% of respondents own their own businesses and of those, 60% said the restrictions have had either negative or very negative impacts on the business and a third of business owners said they have applied for disaster loans.
About 20% of all respondents who are employed said they think they could lose their jobs in the next three months.
As Virginia ramps up testing for the pandemic disease, using tests that trace the active virus and antibody tests that determine if someone was previously exposed, almost half of respondents felt that, if needed, they could get a test for COVID-19 in the next two months.
Almost 70% indicated they would likely get an antibody test to determine if they had previously been exposed to the virus when those tests become available in the region.
While some communities have seen the wearing of face masks in public become a flashpoint, 96% of Central Virginians in the survey said they have a mask and 80% say they wear it at least occasionally.
About 90% wear masks at stores, 40% in any public place, 21% wear their masks at work and 19% wear them at hospitals, clinics or when visiting healthcare providers.
About 62% of those surveyed said they believe response to the pandemic by state officials has been sufficient while two-thirds said the federal government’s response was insufficient.
A majority of participants from Louisa County, 53%, believed the federal government was sufficiently responding, but residents in other localities disagreed.
About 75% of respondents said they trust the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials for information about COVID-19 and about 66% trust Gov. Ralph Northam.
About 70% of respondents said they do not trust President Donald Trump as a source of information on the pandemic.
Survey results were weighted to reflect the demographic characteristics of the region, resulting in a statistical margin of error of plus or minus 7%.
