Poll: US Covid-19 response rates poorly
VICE President Mike Pence says the US response to the Covid-19 pandemic is “a cause for celebration”, but a new poll finds more than half of Americans calling it fair or poor.
The Gallup and West Health survey out on Thursday found that 57% of US adults rated the response as fair or poor, particularly in light of the fact that America has the world’s most expensive healthcare system. The poll found that only 23% of adults rated the response excellent or very good, while an additional 20% rated it as good.
“We always assumed that we have the best – how could the US not have enough masks, and gloves, and gowns?” asked Dr Georges Benjamin, head of the nonprofit American Public Health Association. “The answer is that we have always made the assumption we had all that stuff without properly planning,” he added.
Gallup survey director Dan Witters said the lacklustre reviews are pronounced among people with higher levels of education: 65% of college graduates rated it fair or poor compared with 49% of people with a high school diploma or less.
The poll also indicated a split by race and ethnicity. Witters said black people and other minorities were significantly more likely to give the national response low marks (66%) compared with white people (51%). African Americans have experienced a disproportionate share of deaths and serious complications from the virus.
The survey reinforces public perceptions of a partisan divide over Covid-19, with 44% of Republicans calling the government’s response excellent or very good compared with only 6% of Democrats.
There was widespread agreement, however, on one point: By 88% to 11%, Americans want the government to negotiate the prices of coronavirus treatments with the pharmaceutical industry. That sentiment cuts across party lines. – AP