Over 40% of Britons Believe It Takes at Least 1 Year to Curb COVID-19 Pandemic, Poll Shows

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Recent polls in the United Kingdom have shown that 41% of Britons assume it will take at least a year to curb the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, including 21% who believe that halting the pandemic may require two years at best, according to the data published by YouGov analytical group on Friday.

"YouGov data shows 41% of Britons think it will be at least another year before the pandemic is effectively over in the UK – including 20% who think it will be between one and two years and 21% who think more than two years," the statement said.

Meanwhile, a third of Britons (33%) indicated that they believe the pandemic may never be overcome in the UK, and only 4% think that it has already ended.

The survey conducted in 20-21 December has also revealed that an overwhelming majority of 83% assume their life has not "returned to normal", which is a 10%-increase in comparison with 73% in the early December polls.

The experts believe that decreasing number of people feeling their life normalized is closely related to the spread of the novel coronavirus strain Omicron. YouGov polls published Monday have also shown that Omicron spread raises concerns among over a half of Britons. Nonetheless, 64% of surveyed indicated that they have not significantly changed their behavior in response to the Omicron.

Currently, the UK is undergoing another COVID-19 surge with over 90,000 cases and 100 deaths registered daily. The all-time peak in the COVID-19 incidence with 122,760 new cases was reached on Thursday. The Omicron variant is extensively spreading across the UK, the share of Omicron cases accounts for 38%, with the total number cases exceeding 45,000.