A YouGov/TheEconomist survey revealed that most Americans agree that the worst effects of the Chinese coronavirus epidemic are “behind them”.
Respondents were asked to tell the survey where they think the world stands in relation to the pandemic.
The majority of respondents, 57%, believed the “worst part” of the pandemic was over. Only 13% said the pandemic would get worse. Seven percent of those polled said that they were currently in the worst portion of the pandemic, and 23% said they are not sure.
The same question was asked in a YouGov/TheEconomist poll that was conducted in February. It showed that Americans are changing their perceptions positively. 44% believed that the “worst” part of the pandemic was behind them in February. 22 percent were uncertain. In just two months, the 17 percent who believed that the pandemic would get worse and the 16 percent who believed that the U.S. was in the “worst part” of the pandemic have both fallen significantly.
Most surprising of all is the fact that opinions don’t differ much along party lines. Three quarters (75%) of Republicans believe the worst pandemic is behind them, as do most independents (59%), and a majority of Democrats (48%). Only 15% of Democrats, 12% of independents and 9 percent of Republicans think the pandemic will get worse at this stage.
This survey was conducted among 1,500 adult Americans between April 9-12, 2022. It comes as Americans try to return to pre-pandemic normalcy, which is a state where there are no restrictions and masks. The state level is seeing this, at least mask-wise. However, the Biden administration has repeatedly failed to lift the federal requirement that public transport be covered by a mask. This rule was extended yet again and forced people to wear masks for at least two more weeks after April 18.
Philadelphia became the first major urban city to introduce a mask mandate this week, moving from “Level 1” to “Level 2 Mask Precautions.” This forces people to wear masks again in public places.
Monday, April 18th, the rule will take effect. It is not clear if other major cities will adopt it if they also see an increase in cases.
