95% Aware but Only 49%in Tamil Nadu comply to

            95% Aware but Only 49%in Tamil Nadu comply to wearing masks: EkDesh and Crownit

·         Less than 50% of people in Tamil Nadu use face mask while stepping out of home

·         52% people quote breathing problemsas the key reason for not wearing a face mask

·         34% respondents in Tamil Nadu believe that masksmay not be enough to control COVID-19

EkDesh, a non-profit organization in partnership with Crownit, a leading research company has conducted a survey to understand the overall compliance around wearing masks across Tamil Nadu.Inching towards a complete unlock, the report suggests a staggering low-level compliance towards safe practices in the state.Despite 95% of people in Tamil Nadu being aware of mask usage to prevent COVID-19, only 49% people are complying to wearing masks.

 The survey explores various aspects of mask wearing among SEC A and SEC B sections of society and has been structured to understand the following:

§  Awareness on safe practices for safeguarding oneself from being infected by the coronavirus

§  Compliance amongst different segments of the population towards wearing masks.

 According to Shekhar Kirani, Founding Member ACT Grant and Partner Accel Ventures, "While India has steadily moved towards unlock, battling the pandemic needs a unified effort by the authorities at one level and citizens at another level to help control the spread. There is global evidence that face masks help in the slow-down of COVID-19 spread.  In India, our survey findings have revealed that while there is a high level of awareness around wearing a mask, the compliance is very low or flawed. Through our Corona Soldier movement, we want every citizen in the country to step up and pledge support towards 100% mask compliance. We firmly believe that diligent efforts towards masking a billion Indians will help save lives.”

 The report estimates that 95% respondents diligently comply with safety guidelines by wearing masks and amongst them, 74% are conscious and ensure proper use of face mask with face and nose covered and only 53% respondents wear a mask during the entire duration while out of home.Also, 57% respondents who wear masks said that they put on the mask only when someone is in close vicinity.

 Highlighting the reason for non-compliance, breathing problems emerged (52%) as key reason, followed by discomfort and inconvenience at 50%. Surprisingly, 41% of respondents who didn’t wear a mask believed that social distancing is enough to protect them from COVID-19.

Poonam Kaul, Brand Evangelistsaid “India’s Covid-19 fatalities are increasing by the day. In fact, as per recent reports, India’s Health Ministry has confirmed that coronavirus deaths have surpassed 100,000. Amidst this global health emergency, while most of the people have the awareness pertaining to importance of wearing masks, the compliance is still very low.  Through our social initiative, ApnaMask, we are committed to moving the needle from awareness of masks wearing to its diligent compliance.”

Approximately 70% of respondents in Tamil Nadu re-use their face masks and wash them regularly with soap and water.

 To encourage people to wear masks, ApnaMask has launched a pan India campaign ‘I am a Corona Solider’ aimed at recruiting ‘Corona Soldiers’who pledge to wear a mask every time they step out of their homes and also encourage others to do the same. The campaign builds on patriotism, layered it with inconvenience that the soldiers face at the battle front yet continue to fight for the country.  Army veterans, Lt Col MK Sinha (Retd) and Major Gaurav Arya (Retd) gave out a battle cry to every citizen of the country to become a Corona Soldier and protect the country from coronavirus. Till date over they have recruitedalmost350,000 Corona Soldiers including Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw (Indian entrepreneur), Rajan Anandan (Managing Director, Sequoia Capital and Surge), Saina Nehwal (Badminton player), Mary Kom (Boxer and a Member of Parliament), Yogeshwar Dutt(Wrestler), Michelin star Chef Vikas Khanna, Bipasha Basu (Actress), Mouni Roy (Actress) and Diana Penty (Actress).

 Methodology

An online mobile based nationwide survey conducted across 18 cities with a sample size of over 1800 people in the age group of 15-55 yrs.