Public Attitudes Towards COVID-19 and Data Sharing: A Survey-based Study to Understand Security and Privacy Concerns in Light of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic stimulated the availability and use of population and individual health data to optimise tracking and analysis of the spread of the virus. Many health care services have had to rapidly digitalise in order to maintain the continuity of care provision. Data collection and dissemination have provided critical support to defence against the spread of the virus since the beginning of the pandemic; however, little is known about public perceptions of and attitudes towards the use, privacy and security of data.

The goal of this study is to better understand people’s willingness to share data in the context of COVID-19. A web-based survey was conducted, looking at individuals’ use of and attitudes toward health data for those 18 years and older, and in particular, those with a reported diagnosis of a chronic health condition placing them most ‘at risk’ of severe COVID-19.

This study was reviewed and given favourable opinion by the University of Warwick’s Humanities and Social Science Research Ethics Committee (HSSREC)/Biomedical & Scientific Research Ethics Committee (BSREC): BSREC 144/19-20.

Results are pending publication in a peer-reviewed journal.