COVID-19 One Year Later Public Perceptions about Pandemics and Their Links to Nature

The report finds strong overall support (85%) for closing high-risk wildlife markets to prevent future pandemics, though this varies by country. While many participants associate COVID-19 with wild animals, perceptions of root causes and the effectiveness of government interventions differ significantly across the five surveyed nations. The study also tracks wildlife and exotic pet purchase behaviors, noting that while some consumption has decreased due to the pandemic, a segment of the population still intends to purchase wildlife products through alternative channels like online platforms or overseas suppliers.

• There is strong overall support (85%) across the five surveyed countries for governments to close high-risk markets selling wildlife to prevent future pandemics, with the highest support in Vietnam (94%) and the lowest in the U.S. (68%).
• Perceptions of the primary source of COVID-19 vary by country: 48% of Chinese participants cite wildlife as the primary source, while in the U.S. and Thailand, only 23% do so.
• Disease transmission from animals to humans is perceived as the most likely root cause for future pandemics by 46% of all participants, although antibiotic resistance is ranked higher in the U.S. and Vietnam.
• While only 15% of participants identify deforestation or poor land quality as a root cause of pandemics, 88% support increased efforts to preserve forests and end deforestation to prevent future outbreaks.
• COVID-19 has led 29% of participants to either stop or reduce their consumption of wildlife products, with the most significant increase in this trend observed in Thailand (rising from 21% in 2020 to 41% in 2021).
• Among those who still intend to buy wildlife products in the future, 31% would be deterred if high-risk markets were closed; however, others would turn to alternative channels, most notably overseas purchases (36%), trusted suppliers (33%), or online (26%).
• Exotic pet purchase incidence is highest in Vietnam (13%) and Thailand (12%), with parrots and snakes being the most popular species overall.
• There is broad support (85%) for the 'One Health' approach to dealing with pandemics, although only 31% of participants had heard of the approach before the survey.
• In Vietnam, 91% of participants support the phasing out of wildlife farms for mammals and birds, and 76% express concern about disease transfer from farmed animals eaten in restaurants.
• In the U.S., 69% of participants support new laws to ensure that products sold domestically do not contribute to global deforestation.

APA

WWF International (2021). COVID-19 One Year Later Public Perceptions about Pandemics and Their Links to Nature. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/351/3zqwm241f_WWF_5_country_Survey___Public_Perceptions_about_Pandemics_and_Their__D3ctfjm.pdf

Chicago

WWF International. COVID-19 One Year Later Public Perceptions about Pandemics and Their Links to Nature. 2021. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/351/3zqwm241f_WWF_5_country_Survey___Public_Perceptions_about_Pandemics_and_Their__D3ctfjm.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=COVID-19 One Year Later Public Perceptions about Pandemics and Their Links to Nature |date=May 2021 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/351/3zqwm241f_WWF_5_country_Survey___Public_Perceptions_about_Pandemics_and_Their__D3ctfjm.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternational2021covid19, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{COVID-19 One Year Later Public Perceptions about Pandemics and Their Links to Nature}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2021}, month = may, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/351/3zqwm241f_WWF_5_country_Survey___Public_Perceptions_about_Pandemics_and_Their__D3ctfjm.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }