Leaders should draw on data and evidence to inform decision-making, "accelerate the termination of the crisis" and "avoid tunnel vision", the organisation has said.

As part of a public statement outlining the steps leaders should take, Esomar recommended that governments and the business community maintain their current levels of funding and reallocate research spend to help improve the knowledge base on Covid-19.

It also called on leaders to enact government funding programmes specifically aimed at supporting research around the crisis, and for academics, private experts and government representatives to work together in multi-disciplinary research groups.

Joachim Bretcha, president of Esomar, said: "The Covid-19 crisis has led to governments and societies to take unparalleled steps to slow the spread of the virus. Many of these steps, the communication around them and their impact on the population isn’t being measured systematically to inform the next steps.

"Now, more than ever, we need to rely on an evidence-base before we take irreparable decisions. We must avoid the human reaction of giving into fear or one-sided sentiments, we must use evidence and data and the right competence to chart the way forward, make the right decisions, and build bridges."  

The organisation has also launched a platform where researchers can share Covid-19 project results.