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Covid-19, stay-at-home orders and well-being: evidence from Google trends

We investigate the impact of the government response to Covid-19 on health and well-being using Google Trends Data. More precisely, we aim to test the impact of stay-at home orders on 12 Google Trends topics related to health and well-being in the US and Europe. The Google trends data have one key advantage for studying the effects of COVID19, they allow to follow individuals long before the lockdown began to fully assess the changes in the population psychological well-being caused by the lockdown. By looking at the evolution in Google Trends one month before and after the lockdown began in the US and 12 European countries in comparison to the same evolution in 2019, we can accurately measure the impacts of the lockdown on Google Trends topics related to health and wellbeing.

Lead investigator:

Abel Brodeur

Affiliation:

University of Ottawa

Primary topic:

Health, physical & mental

Secondary topic:

Families & households

Region of data collection:

North America

Status of data collection

In Progress

Type of data being collected:

From private company

Unit of real-time data collection

Country

Frequency

Monthly