Partisan differences are common in the lessons Americans take away from COVID-19
Here’s what Americans said they learned about the development of vaccines and medical treatments and their advice for handling a future outbreak.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
Here’s what Americans said they learned about the development of vaccines and medical treatments and their advice for handling a future outbreak.
We asked respondents to describe in their own words what rose and fell in importance to them during the pandemic. Here are some of the key themes that emerged.
Trust in scientists and medical scientists has fallen below pre-pandemic levels, with 29% of U.S. adults saying they have a great deal of confidence in medical scientists to act in the best interests of the public. This is down from 40% in November 2020 and 35% in January 2019, before COVID-19 emerged. Other prominent groups – including the military, police officers and public school principals – have also seen their ratings decline.
As has often been the case on policy questions about how to deal with the pandemic, partisans are far apart in their views on mask mandates.
Most U.S. adults do not believe that requests for religious exemptions from the COVID-19 vaccine are sincere.
Americans show more support than opposition for two infrastructure bills; majorities favor raising taxes on large businesses and high-income households.
37% of U.S. adults say they are following news about the coronavirus outbreak very closely. That is up from 31% in March 2021.
Americans offer a lackluster evaluation of how the country has balanced priorities during the coronavirus outbreak. Fewer than half say the country has given the right amount of priority to the needs of K-12 students, public health or quality of life.
53% of parents of K-12 students say schools in the United States should be providing a mix of in-person and online instruction this winter.
Looking at respondents to 2020 and 2021 surveys reveals differences in vaccination rates based on where people turned most for COVID-19 news.
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