"For 30 weeks already, our study has been documenting how people assess what is happening around the coronavirus," says BfR President Professor Dr. Dr. Andreas Hensel. "This enables us to observe how people react to changes in the pandemic."
https://www.bfr.bund.de/cm/349/201013-bfr-corona-monitor-en.pdf
Further trends in the overview:
Classification of possible sources of infection
Since March, the survey has registered which sources the respondents consider as possible transmission pathways for the coronavirus. Over the entire course of the survey, a stable pattern has been observed: Proximity to other people is mostly associated with a high probability of infection (67 percent in the current survey). Relatively often, contact with door handles is also seen as a source of infection (44 percent). In contrast, the probability of transmission through food, pets or clothing is usually rated as low.
Personal protective measures
The regulations - including the mandatory use of masks and the mandatory distance - are continuously implemented by the vast majority. More attention is also paid to hygiene: In the current survey, respondents said that they protect themselves against an infection by washing their hands more thoroughly (92 percent) and using disinfectants more frequently (74 percent). Many also restrict their social contacts. However, a downward trend could be observed over the summer: While in June about 80 percent said that they met with others less often, this figure has dropped to 60 percent in recent months.
Information behaviour
Since the beginning of the epidemic in Germany, people have informed themselves through various information channels: Here, traditional media such as radio, print and particularly television play a role, as do conversations among acquaintances or the Internet. In this respect, the majority of respondents consider the media coverage surrounding the outbreak to be appropriate (65 percent in the current survey), while around a third (30 percent) rate it as exaggerated.
What happens next?
The BfR-Corona-Monitor will continue in November. The survey will continue to be carried out every two weeks and will comprise around 1,000 people at a time.
The BfR continually adapts its FAQs on the topic of coronavirus to the current state of science: