Emergency Contact “Life During Covid is a Living Nightmare”: Ongoing impact revealed in latest Seafarers Happiness Index Home Latest updates News “Life During Covid is a Living Nightmare”: Ongoing impact revealed in latest Seafarers Happiness Index 26 Oct 2020 Download Sign up for alerts LONDON, 26 OCTOBER 2020 – Seafarers continue to face a bleak future in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the latest Seafarers Happiness Index report, published today by The Mission to Seafarers. The survey, with the support of the Shipowners’ Club and Wallem Group, reports on the experiences of seafarers between July and September 2020. This period saw some welcome action to address the dire situation facing the world’s seafarers in the midst of COVID-19, including the ongoing crew change crisis, but still fell short of the comprehensive response that is needed from the international shipping community in the face of the second wave of the pandemic. Early hope among seafarers lost as second wave arrives The average Seafarers Happiness Index for this three-month period shows an increase in happiness levels from 6.18 to 6.35, compared to the previous quarter. However, this masks significant fluctuations between July and September. Early responses from seafarers were far more positive, driven by rising hopes about the re-opening of national borders and a solution to the crew change crisis. Unfortunately, as the quarter progresses, this optimism was lost as the second wave of infections put pay to the hopes for many of a return home or a return to work. This was reflected in a decline in happiness levels, with the comment of one seafarer that “life during COVID is hell” capturing the sentiment of many others. Crew cohesion under pressure A complex picture emerges in looking at relationships on board during this quarter. There are welcome reports of crew pulling together and a growing sense of unity in the face of the unprecedented challenge they face. Worryingly though, th