Almost 2 in 3 adults in US Hawaii suffer negative effect of Covid-19

Los Angeles: Nearly 2 in 3 adults in US state of Hawaii reported negative effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on mental health, food security, job security, housing and poverty, said a new report from the University of Hawaii.

According to the "Health Effects and Views of Covid-19 in Hawaii" report released by the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organisation (UHERO) on Monday, the pandemic has had significant adverse impacts across multiple dimensions in the only island US state beyond the direct effects of the disease itself.

Around 22.9 per cent of respondents reported having their savings depleted, 17.8 per cent had trouble with the education of their children, 14.7 per cent were unable to pay bills, and 12.5 per cent were furloughed or reduced their working hours, the report added.

In addition, the report stated that 12.4 per cent of respondents had a close friend who died and 9.2 per cent had a family member who died, Xinhua news agency reported.

The report pointed out that more than 93.3 per cent of respondents were vaccinated, while 6.7 per cent remain unvaccinated. Nearly 24.8 per cent of respondents reported a confirmed Covid-19 positive test result. Of the respondents who tested positive, 31.5 per cent reported having lingering long-term effects following acute infection.

"Although Covid-19 had severe effects on everyone, individuals who tested positive for Covid-19 experienced larger negative effects than those who did not test positive," said researchers in the report.

Survey responses for the report were collected among more than 2,000 Hawaii adults in May 2022 and obtained in partnership with the Pacific Alliance Against Covid-19.