More Australians now fear they will become infected with Covid-19 than at any other time since the pandemic began.
New research from the Australian National University has revealed 40 per cent think they are likely to contract the virus in the next six months.
That’s compared to the previous high of 39.5 per cent recorded during the early weeks of the first Covid lockdown in 2020 and 10.7 per cent in April this year.
More Australians now fear they will become infected with Covid-19 than at any other time since the pandemic began. Pictured: Masked shoppers walk around Pitt Street Mall in Sydney
The findings were based on a survey of almost 3,500 Australian adults by the university.
The study’s co-author Professor Nicholas Biddle said the rise in fear of infection coincided with the easing of lockdown restrictions and increased movement across the country.
‘This is a huge jump and shows that even though the vast majority of adult Australians are getting vaccinated against Covid-19, many of us think it is inevitable we will get the disease at some point in time,’ Professor Biddle said.
The survey also found the majority of people thought the worst of the pandemic in Australia was behind them.
However, more than 45 per cent of those surveyed thought the worst was yet to come.
Australians were more optimistic about the pandemic compared to Americans, which a survey showed 54 per cent saying the worst of Covid hadn’t happened yet.
Professor Biddle said there was an alarming trend of an increase in people experiencing severe psychological distress due to the pandemic.
People queue in their cars for a Covid test at a drive-through testing site at Shepparton Sports Precinct in Shepparton, Victoria
‘In October, 12.5 per cent of Australians said they are experiencing severe mental stress, that is compared to a previous high of 10.6 per cent in April 2020,’ he said.
‘This is the highest level of severe psychological distress we’ve seen yet.’
However, fewer people surveyed said they were facing major financial stress from Covid.
It comes as the fully vaccinated rate climbed to 84.2 per cent, while 91.1 per cent have had their first dose.
More than 128,000 vaccines were administered nationally on Wednesday.
The government has extended biosecurity measures in the Northern Territory as the Top End deals with a Covid surge.
The measures will prevent anyone from entering or exiting the remote community of Robinson River, which has been at the centre of the outbreak, until November 22.
The NT recorded no new cases of Covid-19 on Thursday, while there were 262 cases and three deaths in NSW and 25 cases in the ACT.
Victoria registered 1,007 new infections and 12 deaths, ahead of the easing of restrictions that will allow for dancing at nightclubs and no density limits for cafes and restaurants, which will come into effect from Friday.