Socio-economic impacts of COVID-19: collecting the data

The COVID-19 pandemic is still ongoing in Luxembourg and neighbouring countries. It is hoped that due to confinement measures the number of infected persons and deaths will decline in the near future. Largely unknown are the short- and medium-term socio-economic impacts of the pandemic on work and employment, daily activities and mobility, and (not directly COVID-related) health and health behaviours. To understand these impacts, a data collection is necessary. This will allow thorough analyses, designing appropriate and tailor-made policy measures to avoid or mitigate detrimental wider impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak, and combating social inequalities.
Starting the data collection is an urgent priority right now, to form the basis of any evidence-based research to inform policy in this area. Public authorities in Luxembourg are considering to relieve the confinement measures to 'unlock' parts of economic and social life in the country as soon as the pandemic is becoming less severe and more ‘manageable’. As Luxembourg is currently still in the stage of confinement and has not yet entered the EXIT stage, this is the right time to start collecting data on the social, economic and health impacts of the pandemic.
Two methods for data collection will be applied: an online questionnaire and an activity-mobility App for smartphones. People living in Luxembourg as well as cross border commuters will be asked (on a voluntarily basis) to participate in three stages of the pandemic: peak phase, post-peak phase and post-pandemic phase.