Story By: Ernest Bio Bogore, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Newsflash
A new study has found that French people are washing less than normal during the COVID-19 lockdown and even deodorant sales have dropped by nearly half.
The survey was carried out by the Institut Francais d’Opinion Publique (IFOP), an international polling and market research firm located in the French capital Paris.
According to the IFOP poll published on 22nd April, lowered hygienic standards have particularly been adopted by men over 65 years old or living alone.
According to the survey, only 67 percent of French people surveyed practice a “full wash” daily during this confinement, compared to 76 percent before.
The study said: “This lack of a full wash is, as in previous surveys, a rather masculine phenomenon, affecting mostly senior citizens whose hygiene practices were instilled at a time when basic sanitary comfort (such as running water, bathrooms, showers, etc) was not as common.”
According to the study, 61 percent of French men said they wash all over at least once a day on average compared to 74 percent of women.
The report said that 49 percent of men aged over 65 admitted to washing all over compared to 67 percent of men aged 25 or under.
The study also said that French people are changing their undies less frequently.
Only 68 percent of men change their underwear daily compared to 73 percent before the lockdown.
Meanwhile, 91 percent of women change their panties every day, according to the report.
People living alone appear to make less effort than those in the community. Forty-one percent of single men admitted to not changing their undies every day compared to just 15 percent of women.
The study also suggested that French people are brushing their teeth less and the company Nielsen has reported a 26 percent drop in sales since the lockdown.
Meanwhile, there has been a huge drop of 45 percent in the sale of deodorant since the quarantine measures were introduced.
Francois Kraus, director of IFOP’s news and politics division, said the reduced standards are a result of “social withdrawal linked to confinement” leading to the “relaxing of certain habits in terms of personal and clothing hygiene, particularly among isolated people who no longer need to give a good impression to others”.
The ViralTab page is created by and dedicated to professional, independent freelance journalists. It is a place for us to showcase our work. When our news is sold to our media partners, we will include the link here.
