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The COVID-19 pandemic has modified the way we live, work and eats. With the UAE government encouraging the public to remain at home except it is certainly necessary, residents are discovering ways to engage themselves at home. YouGovs recent survey looks into the influence the pandemic has had on some of the regular activities and habits of the population.

The information exhibits playing board games, puzzles, crosswords, etc. has been seen the massive increase in engagement amongst UAE residents as they practice social distancing and remain at home. Although 42% of the respondents claimed to play these games at least once a week before they began to staying at home, the frequency of playing has multiplied since then and now 50% residents stated they are enjoying these games at least once each week (up from 48% in the first two weeks of staying indoors). Residents aged between 25-34 years are more probably to play these games than the other age groups (at 57%).

On the contrary, the frequency of playing video games each and every week remained unchanged originally when people first began staying indoors (62%), however picked up barely in the previous two weeks of staying home, and 64% are now playing these games at least once a week.

Home baking has been on the upward jostle during the period. As residents remain at home, many have donned the bakers hat and have been baking more often while staying at home (50% in the first two weeks and 52% now) than they did prior to the Covid-19 scenario (46%). Arab Expats seem particularly likely to be baking more now as compared to the different nationality groups (with 65% saying so).

Another area that has seen an upswing at some point of the outbreak is the enrolment in skill-based online courses. The frequency of taking these lessons has increased from 36% taking it at least once a week before the health crisis to 43% once the stay at home suggestions have been rolled out, and presently just as many (43%) continue taking these lessons. Men are more likely than women to take these classes now (45% vs 36%).

Besides these, activities like listening to podcasts and meditation or yoga have all seen a increase and a higher quantity of people are engaging in these actions now than before (40% vs 44% and 41% vs 45%, respectively).

Some residents are tending to their house more and are increasingly involving themselves in chores such as gardening and deep-cleaning or de-cluttering the house. Following the considerable scare around the virus, it looks people are taking matters in their own hands as part of precautionary measure to curb the spread of Covid-19.

Surprisingly, the Coronavirus has brought little to no difference to the level of physical activity undertaken by people and they are indulging in physical workouts as often now as they used to before the pandemic.

The same is actual for peoples reading habits and cooking regimens, which have witnessed little to no change and people continue doing these as often as they did pre-pandemic.

Data collected online by YouGov Omnibus among 1004 respondents in the UAE between 22nd and 29th April 2020 using YouGovs panel of over 6 million people worldwide. Data is representative of the adult national population in the country.

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