Public attitudes and fears after the COVID-19 pandemic
General Medicine, 2025, 27(2), 3-8.
D. Penchev1, R. Zlatanova-Velikova2
1 Sofia Regional Health Inspectorate
2 Faculty of Public Health „Prof. Tsekomir Vodenicharov, MD, DSc“, Medical University ‒ Sofia
Abstract. Corona virus infection left a lasting imprint on both the physique and the psyche and attitudes of the individual. Aim: The aim of this paper is to present and analyze the public attitudes and fears after the COVID-19 pandemic in Bulgaria. Materials and Methods: A survey method was used to objectify the observed results. An anonymous survey was conducted in the period from 13 October to 13 November 2023. Citizens’ opinion on the existence of fears of a recurrence of COVID-19, the severity of COVID-19 and the time of illness were studied. The presence of physical suffering (affected organ(s) or system(s)) after COVID-19 infection and the attitude of citizens towards COVID-19 vaccines were investigated. Results: The results showed that respondents who occasionally feel anxious when they think about such situations total 306 people (15.6%), yet only 53.7% are vaccinated against the disease. A higher relative proportion of respondents (45.2%) were sick before vaccination. In 57.7%, a mild disease course took place at home settings, while hospitalization was required in 7.7%. Respondents who said they were in excellent condition after being sick were 42.8%, and the share of those who had no complications but did not feel as physically stable as they did before becoming sick with COVID-19 was 27.1%. The highest proportion of respondents (65.5%) would contact their GP if they had complaints after contracting COVID-19. Conclusions: The anxiety of uncertainty surrounding the situation created by COVID-19 and its consequences is a major challenge for both the Bulgarian society and the whole of humanity.
Key words: COVID-19, public attitudes, public fears