Topline
After months of mounting hope, Americans’ optimism about the Covid-19 pandemic has sharply declined over the past month, according to a poll published Monday, which reveals overwhelming pessimism for the first time since January as the delta variant continues to drive cases and hospitalizations nationwide.
Numerous counties and cities across the U.S. have re-imposed restrictions, like mask mandates.
Key Facts
The Gallup survey of nearly 3,500 adults found more now say the coronavirus situation in the U.S. is getting worse (45%) rather than better (40%).
This marks a significant shift in opinion from June, when a record 89% believed the pandemic was getting better, and only 3% said it was getting worse.
It is also the first time since January that more U.S. adults have been pessimistic than optimistic about the Covid-19 pandemic (pessimism outpaced optimism for most of 2020).
With their hopes dashed, an overwhelming majority (83%) of Americans expect societal “disruptions” related to the coronavirus to last through at least the end of this year, with 42% predicting they will stretch into 2022.
By contrast, nearly half of Americans surveyed in June expected pandemic-related disruptions in society to last only a few more weeks or months.
Surprising Fact
Pessimism about Covid-19 is still far from its peak of 73% in November 2020. At that time, the country was facing a dramatic uptick in cases leading into its deadliest period of the pandemic. Cases, hospitalizations and deaths are still well below the level they were at last winter.
Key Background
The highly contagious delta variant has been driving a rapid surge in cases and hospitalizations, leading numerous counties and cities across the U.S. to reverse course after easing restrictions earlier in the pandemic. While a vast majority of those being hospitalized or dying from Covid-19 are unvaccinated, new data shared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has sparked mounting concerns about how easily vaccinated people may be able to spread the virus too. A CDC study released Friday found 74% of cases in a recent outbreak of the delta variant in Massachusetts were among vaccinated people, and they had viral loads as high as unvaccinated people who were infected.
Further Reading
“U.S. Reports Almost 200,000 New Covid Cases In Worst Spike Since January” (Forbes)
“New Orleans The Latest City Reinstating Mask Mandate—See Full List” (Forbes)
