POLL: INCREASINGLY AMERICANS TRYING TO AVOID INFECTION
CHICAGO» Americans in overwhelming numbers are actively avoiding others as much as possible and taking additional steps to protect themselves from the coronavirus, according to a survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research that shows how concerns about infection have grown sharply in the past six weeks.
The survey finds Americans are increasingly isolating, washing their hands and avoiding touching their face. Large portions of the country are confronting layoffs and pay cuts and are adjusting to kids forced home from school and day care amid the coronavirus pandemic, which has upended American life and the nation’s economy.
Half of Americans now say they are extremely or very worried that they or a family member will be infected by the virus. That compares with 31% who said the same in mid-March and 22% who said so in February. Another 34% are somewhat worried, while just 16% say they are not worried.
The spike in concern comes as the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, has grown to about 1.3 million worldwide and about 340,000 in the U.S., according to Johns Hopkins University. Containment efforts have canceled in-person classes for most of the country’s students, thrown more than 10 million people out of work and put 90% of the population under stay-at-home orders.
Americans are more likely than they were in mid-March to report taking protective steps. Today,
94% of Americans say they are staying away from large groups, up from 68%. Somewhat fewer — though still an overwhelming majority, 86% — say they are avoiding other people as much as possible.
Most states are now under a statewide stay-at-home order. Americans in states that were not under a statewide stay-at-home order on or before March 26 were about as likely as Americans in states that were under such a directive to say they were avoiding contact with others.
“To me it was just common sense,” said Richard Walker, 62, of St. Augustine, Fla., who said he and his family began making changes weeks before Gov. Ron DeSantis last Wednesday issued a statewide stay-at-home order.