More Australians are worried about the longer-lasting, societal effects of the COVID-19 pandemic — specifically that the health system could be overburdened and the country could enter a recession — than they are about the more immediate changes to their own lives, a new survey of 1000 Australians reveals.

In a world where social distancing is becoming the norm and many Australians are working apart from one another, it would be reasonable to expect society to become more selfish.

Surprisingly, people were more worried about this exact thing — society becoming more selfish — than they were about losing their jobs, feeling lonely or catching the virus themselves.

The findings are part of a study developed in collaboration with researchers around the world, gauging people’s behaviours and concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic.