COSMO Wave 1.1
Establishing a strong baseline understanding of Canadians’ COVID-19 knowledge base (e.g., symptoms, virus spread), perceptions and attitudes
Impact Canada, Impact & Innovation Unit, Privy Council Office
Key Insights
This report focuses on the results for the second wave of this research. 2,023 Canadians aged 18 and older were surveyed between April 11 and 15, 2020. The data was weighted to ensure that the sample distribution reflects the actual Canadian adult population according to Statistics Canada census data. There is no associated margin of error for the results, since a non-probability design means that results cannot be projected to the larger population.
Pandemic Outlook
Most Canadians currently feel that the COVID-19 pandemic will get worse. Findings can be used as an early signal for how long Canadians expect pandemic response to last [ see chart ].
Concerns
On average, Canadians feel confident about their knowledge related to preventing the spread of COVID-19. However, Canadians are not as confident when it comes to their knowledge related to COVID-19 in general [ see chart ].
Canadians recognize the seriousness of COVID-19 and the importance of working together to overcome the pandemic. The majority of Canadians are worried about COVID-19, with many feeling negatively impacted by the virus (e.g. stress, pervasive thoughts, helplessness relating to COVID-19). Currently, Canadians are interested in information relating to treatments, symptoms, and methods to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Changes over time will inform what information should be disseminated through government channels [ see chart ].
Knowledge
Canadians are fairly knowledgeable about which groups are at risk for severe outcomes due to COVID-19, but there is greater variability in perceptions of pregnant woman, infants, and small children [ see chart ].
Vaccine Hesitancy
Currently, only 70% of Canadians indicated that they would get an effective or safe COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available. Further work is needed to improve the potential uptake of a vaccine ahead of its availability [ see chart ].
Background
To support federal response efforts, Impact Canada is leading the implementation of the World Health Organization (WHO) Behavioural Insights (BI) Tool on COVID-19 in the Canadian context. This work is led in collaboration with the Public Opinion Research Team within the Privy Council Office’s (PCO) Communications and Consultation Secretariat, which supports the Prime Minister’s Office in coordinating government communications in accordance with key priorities.
Methodology
With a longitudinal design, the study follows 2,000 participants recruited from an online panel over sixteen data collection waves. New participants are added only when an original panelist stops participating.
Respondents are a representative mix of Canadian adults aged 18 years and older and results are weighted using 2016 Statistics Canada census data to mirror the population distribution in Canada.
Selected Figures
A number of selected figures are presented below. For more information on the data set, please contact the Impact and Innovation Unit .
Respondent Profiles
Age
| Canada (n=2,023) | BC/Yukon (n=284) | Alberta (n=268) | Man/Sask (n=236) | Ontario (n=622) | Quebec (n=407) | Atlantic (n=206) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18-34 years | 27% | 27% | 32% | 30% | 28% | 26% | 23% |
| 35-54 years | 34% | 33% | 36% | 33% | 34% | 33% | 33% |
| 55 years and older | 39% | 40% | 32% | 37% | 38% | 41% | 44% |
Gender
| Canada (n=2,023) | BC/Yukon (n=284) | Alberta (n=268) | Man/Sask (n=236) | Ontario (n=622) | Quebec (n=407) | Atlantic (n=206) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 48% | 48% | 49% | 48% | 48% | 48% | 47% |
| Female | 51% | 52% | 50% | 51% | 52% | 51% | 52% |
| Gender diverse | 0% | 0% | 1% | 1% | 0% | 0% | 1% |
Education
| Canada (n=2,023) | BC/Yukon (n=284) | Alberta (n=268) | Man/Sask (n=236) | Ontario (n=622) | Quebec (n=407) | Atlantic (n=206) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High school or less | 24% | 22% | 24% | 33% | 22% | 25% | 29% |
| College/trades | 49% | 48% | 46% | 45% | 48% | 51% | 54% |
| University / post-graduate | 27% | 30% | 30% | 21% | 30% | 25% | 18% |
Size of Community
| Canada (n=2,023) | BC/Yukon (n=284) | Alberta (n=268) | Man/Sask (n=236) | Ontario (n=622) | Quebec (n=407) | Atlantic (n=206) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Major metropolitan area (1M+) | 30% | 23% | 53% | 12% | 35% | 26% | 3% |
| Large urban centre (100K+) | 30% | 32% | 13% | 42% | 33% | 29% | 23% |
| Medium population centre (30K to 99K) | 17% | 25% | 13% | 9% | 15% | 20% | 16% |
| Small population centre (1K to 29K) | 18% | 16% | 14% | 22% | 13% | 23% | 34% |
| Rural area ( <1K) | 6% | 3% | 6% | 15% | 4% | 3% | 24% |