The Unseen Impacts of COVID-19

Richard Edelman, CEO

Tuesday marks the fifth anniversary of the declaration of the global COVID-19 pandemic. My last venture outside of my apartment for months was the opening round of the Big East Basketball Tournament at Madison Square Garden, where I sat innocently with my friends watching college hoops. I remember the agony of those two years, the lockdown, my mother-in law contracting COVID and fighting like a tiger for six months in intensive care before succumbing, the social isolation, the banging of pots to celebrate the brave MDs and nurses, the struggle of my company coping with a sudden drop in revenue and having to do an immediate reduction in force.

Now we are on the other side, trying to evaluate the long-term consequences of the pandemic on Trust. The Edelman Trust Barometer 2021 found that nearly a year after COVID, Business emerged as the most trusted institution globally, taking the baton from Government which had a short but shining period on top at the beginning of the crisis. We found further that Trust and believability moved Local, to My Employer, My CEO and my company newsletter, supplanting the traditional top-down leadership model as we lost belief in classic leaders in business, government and media. We also observed a dispersion of expertise including and beyond traditional experts, with a new reliance on religious leaders, community leaders and pharmacists, plus increasing self-reliance by consumers using the Internet as a guide.

We are just out of the field with a special flash poll, 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report: The Unseen Impacts of COVID. It was fielded in February in four nations: Brazil, India, the UK and the US.

We have found three important and unforeseen long-term consequences of COVID-19.

First, COVID has become a warning shot to Business. Nearly two thirds of respondents across all four markets say that the pandemic made them feel a greater sense of grievance against Business, Government, and the Wealthy. Similar majorities share the view that business used the pandemic as an excuse to hike prices while people suffered to afford everyday items. The outlook ahead is not promising: When we asked whether you trusted institutions to do what’s right in the event of another pandemic, Business is trusted in India at 69%, but distrusted across Brazil (49%), the UK (42%), and the US (42%).

Second, COVID is still happening for the under 35 crowd—Gen Z and young millennials. Nearly 70% of respondents, age 18-34, say that COVID guidelines at least moderately disrupted their lives. More than 40% in this age group say that they feel left behind and that they are angry at the rich and powerful because of the pandemic. There is a deep sense of vulnerability for young adults from the pandemic, with 61% having increased financial anxiety, 58% feeling lonely and isolated, and over half feeling depressed. Over a quarter of younger respondents in the U.S. say that they have decided not to have children because of the pandemic.

Third, COVID undermined Science in Society. While scientists and academics are the most or second-most trusted voices on pandemic preparedness across the four markets, the status of science itself has slipped. That’s particularly true in the United States, where almost two in three say that their fellow citizens are less likely to trust and abide by science and one in two say the government has deprioritized science in its decision-making as a result of the pandemic. Medical polarization is another factor, with nearly half of young people across markets saying that due to COVID, they seek out healthcare providers who share their political beliefs.

There is a call to action here for Business. You cannot just coast on the superb performance in drug discovery, provision of PPE and keeping people on the payroll. Recognize your central role in the lives of your employees as a credible source of information. Explain the increased costs that have led to price increases and work to introduce affordable products. Accept the responsibility for helping Gen Z get out of its slump, finding social occasions and giving them well paid jobs. We will have much more to say in April when we launch our broader, 16 market Trust Barometer Special Report on Health.