Health

There are widely held concerns about the safety and effectiveness of a possible vaccine and the pace of the approval process.

The share of Americans who say they know someone else who has been hospitalized or died due to COVID-19 has increased sharply since spring.

As the pandemic continues, a growing share of Americans say they are regularly wearing a face covering in stores and other businesses.

The pandemic has had a divisive effect on a sense of national unity in many of the countries surveyed: A median of 46% feel more national unity now than before the coronavirus outbreak, while 48% think divisions have grown.

Unfavorable views of China reach new historic high, and a majority supports taking a tougher stand on human rights.

Most Americans (71%) have heard of a conspiracy theory that alleges that powerful people intentionally planned the coronavirus outbreak.

Republicans and Democrats remain far apart in their views of the threat to public health posed by the coronavirus outbreak.

70% of Americans say the core strategies for containing COVID-19 are well understood, even though studies have yielded conflicting advice.

A majority of experts canvassed say significant reforms aimed at correcting problems in democratic institutions and representation will take place. But they are divided about whether this will lead to positive outcomes for the public.

While the CDC has pointed to some possible factors that may be contributing to this pattern, the public is divided in its perceptions.