The coronavirus pandemic poses major challenges to many groups. One of these, however, is usually not in the focus of public interest – the informal caregivers. This study therefore investigated the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on family carers and how social distancing measures and higher hygiene requirements affect informal carers. For this purpose, more than 1,000 informal caregivers in Germany who are younger than 67 years and for whom multiple burdens from work, family and care are common were surveyed with an online questionnaire about the care situation, the compatibility of care and work and changes in their perceived burden of care as well as their state of health.

• Only a very small proportion of respondents (<1 %) are or have been infected with the coronavirus, yet the care situation has changed for 59 % of respondents.
• For 57% of the respondents, care has become more time-consuming. The burden of care has increased significantly on average, not least because professional help can no longer be (or could no longer be) used to the usual extent.
• For 71% of the respondents, the Corona virus pandemic has made it even more difficult to reconcile care and work.
• The state of health has worsened for 52% of respondents and their self-assessed quality of life has decreased.

An English summary of the findings was published here, and the full report (in German, is available here.

How Covid-19 has affected informal caregivers and their lives in Germany