Objective: The coronavirus has spread around the world, causing an ongoing pandemic. After the lockdown and quarantine protocols, an evaluation of the population's current emotional state was made through a web-based survey available in both English and Spanish. The objective was to observe how respondents perceived stress and worry as a result of COVID-19.
Methods: The survey gathered data across three sections: socio-demographic data, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) by Cohen, and additional queries on current worries and behaviors due to this pandemic.
Results: The survey received 1523 respondents from 48 countries. The mean of the PSS-10 score was 17.4 (SD 6.5). Significantly higher scores were observed among women, young adults, students, and those who expressed concern about getting infected and considered themselves high-risk. No significant differences were observed between health professionals and other professions.
Conclusions: We describe an increase in stress levels due to the COVID-19 and point out groups at high risk. These findings could help to address the mental health care that is needed.
Keywords: COVID-19; PSS-10; coronavirus; pandemic; stress; worry.