BERLIN, Oct. 14 — Sixty percent of Germans were worried about another COVID-19 wave in 2021, according to a survey published by the German insurance company ERGO on Monday.

Falling ill with a serious disease was the greatest fear for the future for 40 percent of Germans in 2020, up from 35 percent last year, according to the survey among 1,000 Germans aged 18 and over by the market research institute Heute und Morgen.

The expected risk of “becoming a victim of a virus epidemic” in the next few years almost doubled from 16 percent to 30 percent in 2020, ERGO noted, saying it showed how strongly COVID-19 “changed the public awareness of future risks.”

The COVID-19 pandemic also had a significant impact on leisure activities. More than 70 percent of Germans currently avoided visits to cultural events, cinemas and bars, according to the survey.

COVID-19 cases in Germany increased by 2,467 within one day to 325,331 on Monday, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). Last week, daily COVID-19 infections in Germany rose sharply, peaking at 4,804 on Thursday.

Germany’s Minister of Health Jens Spahn had said the use of the official COVID-19 warning app would help control the situation during the cold season.

Around four out of 10 Germans aged over 18 years said they use the official COVID-19 warning app.

The coronavirus pandemic was a “strong driver of digitalization and will lead to sustainable changes,” said Mark Klein, chief digital officer at ERGO. 

Source: Xinhua