Majority of Americans believe worst COVID-19 outbreak is yet to come: report

The American public has been living with the COVID-19 pandemic for over a year now, and new national data suggests a majority of 54% still believe the worst of the virus is yet to come.

New data from The Pew Research Center highlights the grim outlook surrounding the pandemic for most Americans, despite more information about the virus and which vaccines are readily available.

This pessimistic sentiment fell from higher levels seen in November 2020, when 71% believed the worst of COVID-19 had yet to hit the United States It was during the record high winter epidemics of the virus, and before the resurgence observed last summer with the appearance of the delta variant.

Like other topics, the sentiment expressed about the state of COVID-19 in America is largely partisan; More Republicans believe the country has better control of the virus, with 53% of them believing that another major epidemic is looming around the corner.

In contrast, 59% of Democrats believe the United States is doomed for another push.

The same trends exist in people depending on their vaccination status. Fifty-six percent of unvaccinated adults think the worst is yet to come, compared to 53 percent of vaccinated people who feel the same.

Other subjects polled in the latest Pew survey include reactions to vaccinations, public health restrictions, and approval ratings of elected officials. Most of them are divided equally along party lines.

The data comes as U.S. regulators work to approve booster vaccinations to help support immunity as the nation continues to fight COVID-19. Children’s vaccines are also being developed by drug makers, namely Pfizer, as schools reopen and more children fall ill with infections caused by the delta.

According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), only 54.6% of Americans have been fully immunized, a figure the United States has been stranded for for several months. President Biden recently put in place broader mandates requiring federal employees to get vaccinated or be tested weekly, and consult with large companies on vaccine mandates in the private sector to help build the country’s immunity.