Virus worries increase; threat perception falls
Seventy percent of Americans are ‘concerned’ or ‘very concerned,’ up from 44 percent in early February.
More than two-thirds of Americans are either “concerned” or “very concerned” about the spread of the novel coronavirus known as COVID-19, according to a new Marist College/NPR/PBS poll.
At the same time, though, the percentage of poll respondents who see the virus as a “real threat” is down significantly from a month ago, the poll found.
The finding that 70 percent of Americans are “concerned” or “very concerned” is up from a level of 44 percent who had the same view in early February, before the virus began to spread in the United States, a summary of the poll states.
Broken down by political affiliation, the new poll found 58 percent of Republicans have a “heightened level of concern,” up from 41 percent in early February; 84 percent of Democrats have a “high level of anxiety about the spread,” up from 52 percent; and 68 percent of independents have heightened fears, up from 37 percent.
But despite the heightened concern, “fewer Americans [than in the previous poll] perceive the coronavirus to be a real threat, and more say the coronavirus is being blown out of proportion,” the poll summary states.
Fifty-six percent of respondents to the new poll identified the virus as a “real threat,” down from 66 percent in February.
Thirty-eight percent of respondents to the new poll said the danger of the virus is being exaggerated, up from 27 percent in early February. The jump is attributable mainly to Republican respondents, according to the summary.
“While 72 percent of the GOP considered the coronavirus to be a real threat in early February, only 40 percent now have this view,” the summary states. “A majority of Republicans, 54 percent, currently have the view that the situation is being blown out of proportion.” The 54 percent finding is up from 23 percent int he February poll.
The new poll also found a majority of respondents do not trust information about the virus provided by President Donald Trump.
“Sixty percent say they have not very much or no trust at all in the communication they receive from Trump,” the summary says. “Thirty-seven percent have a great deal or good amount of trust in the president’s messaging.”
Most Democrats, or 91 percent, and more than six in 10 independents, 62 percent, lack confidence in the information the president shares about the crisis, the summary states. Among Republicans, that number is only 21 percent.
“Seventy-four percent of Republicans report they have at least a good amount of trust in the information the president provides about coronavirus.,” the summary states. “Many Americans perceive a lack of leadership. Nearly half of Americans, 49 percent, disapprove of how President Trump is handling the coronavirus pandemic. Forty-four percent approve.”