Pandemic pessimism is back, new poll finds



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Still, concerns remain far lower than they were for much of last year, and in many cases, those previously vaccinated express more acute concerns than those who have not yet received a vaccine.

Only 45% of Americans now say the coronavirus situation in the United States is improving, according to a new Gallup poll, down sharply from the 89% who thought things were improving in June. The results mark the first time this year that Americans’ pessimism about the pandemic has outweighed their optimism, although belief that the situation is improving remains higher than in any of Gallup’s polls on the issue. ‘last year. In June, just 17% of the public expected disruption to travel, school, work and public events in the United States to continue until 2022; now 42% do.

Americans’ personal concerns about Covid-19 have also increased, according to the survey, although less dramatically. Only 29% say they are even somewhat worried about contracting the virus, up from 17% last month but well below the majorities who have said the same thing for most of last year.

Notably, the investigation finds “little evidence that people change their behavior” since the start of the summer to avoid the virus, with public actions currently isolating themselves, avoiding crowds or public places, withdrawing from the little ones. gatherings and staying away from the transit masses all similar in late July to where they were in June. In the most recent survey, for example, 40% say they avoid events with large crowds, virtually identical to the 39% who stayed away from these events the previous month.

Although the virus is much more dangerous to the unvaccinated than to those who have been vaccinated, a third of vaccinated Americans currently say they are at least somewhat worried, compared to 20% of those who are not vaccinated.
Gallup’s results largely mirror those of a Monmouth University poll also released on Monday, which found 65% of Americans now say they are at least somewhat concerned about a new wave triggered by low rates immunizations, a slight increase from the 57% who said the same thing in June. About half of Americans, 53%, say they are at least somewhat concerned that a family member is falling seriously ill from the coronavirus outbreak, up from 42% in the previous Monmouth survey.
Concerns specifically about new variants of the coronavirus are highest among those already vaccinated: 48% of Americans say they are at least somewhat worried about catching a new variant, a number rising to 57% among those who have been vaccinated. people who have received at least one dose of a Covid vaccine and drops to just 16% among those who say they refuse to be vaccinated. But 47% of those who are not vaccinated and are planning to get vaccinated or are on the fence also express concerns about the new variants – a finding that matches the recent increase in vaccination rates in states where vaccinations have been cut. late.
About half of the public, 52%, say they would support their state instituting or reinstating face mask and social distancing guidelines in their state, with 46% against – a conclusion reached before the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention US did not announce updated masking guidelines for the last time this week.

Thin majorities of Americans continue to say both President Joe Biden and their state governor are doing a good job in dealing with the pandemic, Monmouth notes. A majority of 55% of Americans say Biden is doing a good job dealing with the coronavirus outbreak, with a similar 54% saying the same about their state governor, and 57% giving health agencies positive ratings from the federal government. Only a third, however, claim that the American public itself is doing an equally good job.

Just under half of the public, 46%, say most of the growing number of Covid-19 cases is due to people refusing to be vaccinated, with around seven in ten believing that the refusal of the vaccine played at least a role.

Gallup surveyed 3,475 American adults from July 19 to 26, using a nationally representative online panel, with a margin of sampling error of ± 2 percentage points. Monmouth interviewed 804 adults from July 21 to 26, using phone calls conducted by live interviewers, with a margin of sampling error of +/- 3.5 percentage points.

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