The SARS‐CoV‐2 virus that causes COVID‐19 has had a large impact on the lives of many people worldwide. At the peak of confirmed COVID‐19 cases during the first wave in Switzerland (March–April 2020), we conducted a survey in the German‐speaking part of the country ( N = 1,585). The results suggest that the implemented measures are accepted. The survey participants are more concerned that other family members could catch the virus compared with themselves, and they are worried about its economic impact. The results suggest that how trust is measured is crucial because general trust and social trust have opposite effects on the participants’ risk perceptions. People with high general trust perceive less risks associated with COVID‐19 compared with people who have low general trust, and people with high social trust perceive more risks compared with people who have low social trust. The results further indicate that perceived risks are important drivers for the acceptance of the government's implemented measures to control COVID‐19 and for more precautionary behavior (i.e., contact with fewer people and more hygienic behavior). Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

Rationale An important public health strategy during the COVID-19 pandemic was the protection of people at risk of severe progressions of an infection; namely, older people and people with pre-existing conditions. Objective To improve public health communication, it is vital to understand, which sociodemographic and psychological factors drive older people’s acceptance of and compliance with public health measures. Method This goal was pursued in this three-wave longitudinal online study with older adults, collected between March and June during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 ( N = 327; first and second wave during the national lockdown; third wave: after the lifting of most lockdown measures). Results The results show that overall acceptance of and adherence to the public health measures were high among older adults and even more so for people with pre-existing conditions (e.g., cancer, type II diabetes). However, some infringements of the measures were observed, and the longitudinal analyses suggest that increases in social trust positively influenced acceptance of measures over time, while trivialising beliefs and health fears impacted older adults’ compliance with protective measures over time. Conclusions This study offers insights into the behavioural responses of older adults to an ongoing threat and the associated uncertainty that is part of public communication about the pandemic and protective measures.

Vollständige Literaturliste unter www.saez.ch oder via QR-Code Nachwuchsmedizinerinnen und -mediziner hatten während der Pandemie erschwerte Bedingungen.

The ‘Added Worker Effect’ (AWE) theory posits that partners of the unemployed provide intra-household insurance by increasing their earnings. However, estimates of the AWE are small. Popular explanations include lacking need (e.g. due to generous unemployment benefits), capacity or willingness to increase earnings, though these explanations are seldom tested systematically. Using Swiss administrative data and difference-in-differences estimates, we find an overall AWE among only non-working women. We find no systematic differences in AWEs between couples with differing needs or capacities, but aspects related to willingness like marriage, long marital duration and shared biological children are associated with higher AWEs. Men’s overall slight reduction in earnings upon their partners’ unemployment is driven by young, childless, cohabiting men. Overall, compared to unemployment insurance, in all studied subgroups, the AWE is a minimal source of insurance.

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