Ballot: Individuals Most at Danger for Coronavirus Problems Are No Extra Probably than Others to Report Taking Precautions or Making Preparations in Response to Pandemic
Amid a widespread national health and economic crisis sparked by the novel coronavirus pandemic, a new KFF coronavirus poll says two-thirds of the public (67%) say they are taking precautionary measures, and large parts are concerned about their effects on their family's health and finances.
Among them are four in ten people who have changed their travel plans (42%) or canceled plans to attend large gatherings (40%), and about a third who have stocked up on food or supplies (35%). In addition, a quarter (26%) said they stayed home from work, school or other regular activities, while one in eight (12%) said they bought or wore a protective mask.
Elderly people and people who live in households where someone has severe health conditions are at a higher risk of developing complications if they are infected with coronavirus. However, they are no more likely to report these steps.
KFF will continue to monitor the public's views and experiences with the coronavirus as the situation evolves over the coming weeks and months.
"For many workers, the coronavirus pandemic is both a health and an economic threat," said Drew Altman, President and CEO of KFF. "Many workers – including healthcare workers – fear that they are putting themselves at risk because they cannot afford not to go to work." Low-wage, hourly, and gig workers also have legitimate concerns about losing income as many businesses scale back or shut down. "
The KFF coronavirus survey was conducted March 11-15 as many schools closed and authorities deterred or banned large public gatherings in an attempt to slow the spread of the virus. It provides a snapshot of the public's experience, knowledge and views during the rapidly evolving crisis.
The survey found that around half of workers (53%) fear losing income due to job closure or working hours, and four in ten (41%) fear they will be at risk of exposure to coronavirus because they do i can't afford to stay home and miss work. 40% of those who say they or someone in their household works providing health services say they are concerned about putting themselves at risk.
Work-related concerns vary considerably depending on people's work situation. For example, nearly three quarters (73%) of workers in households with an annual income below $ 40,000, two-thirds of part-time workers (68%) and six in ten workers who are hourly (60%) or paid by the EU job (61% ) worry about loss of income.
The pattern is similar to worries about the risk of infection as they cannot afford to miss out on work. Workers in low-income households and those who work part-time and are paid hourly or job-related are more likely than others to report concerns about putting themselves at risk.
The House on Saturday passed a bill, approved by President Trump, to extend paid sick and family vacations for workers affected by the ongoing crisis.
The survey found that around a third (32%) of workers say they do not receive paid sick leave from their employers, and half (51%) do not receive paid time off for family or sick leave. Those who work part-time, workers who are paid hourly or professionally, and those on lower incomes are much less likely to report having any kind of paid vacation.
Overall, 10% of employees state that they have already lost income from a job or company due to the crisis. This includes roughly one in five people who are self-employed (23%) or who are paid by their job (21%).
About six in ten (62%) of the population fear that they or a family member will contract the coronavirus. Parents (68%) and people with low household incomes (68%) are among the groups most likely to fear a family member will get sick.
Amid a sharp decline in stock markets in recent weeks, about half (51%) of the population say they are concerned about the impact of the crisis on their retirement and college savings. More than a third (36%), including two-thirds (66%) of adults under 65 without health insurance, fear that they can afford tests and treatments for coronavirus if needed.
Overall, around a third of adults (32%) say that coronavirus-related worries and stress had a negative impact on their mental health, including 14% who said it had a "big" impact.
Democrats and Republicans react differently to the crisis
The survey found significant differences among partisans on many issues, with Democrats generally being more concerned about health and economic consequences and more likely to take specific action.
For example, nearly three-quarters of Democrats (73%) but only half of Republicans (50%) fear that they or a family member will get sick. Democrats are twice as likely as Republicans (54% vs. 27%) to worry about lost income from job closings or working hours.
Similarly, Democrats are far more likely than Republicans to say they changed their travel plans (53% vs 29%) or canceled plans to attend large gatherings (49% vs 28%).
The public mostly knows the key facts about coronavirus, but some misconceptions remain
The survey found that an overwhelming majority know that frequent hand washing, staying home when sick, and avoiding large gatherings are recommended by public health experts to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. The vast majority also know that adults aged 60 and over and those with pre-existing medical conditions are at greater risk of developing serious complications.
While most adults (73%) know that someone who thinks they have symptoms of coronavirus should stay home and call a doctor, one in four (25%) think someone who has symptoms occur immediately in an emergency room or should be treated in an emergency room emergency care facility.
Further results are:
- Four in ten Americans (40%) say their lives have been severely or partially disrupted by the outbreak, although the disruption appears to be increasing. Half of the respondents from Friday to Sunday say their life was disrupted. Two-thirds of parents (66%) who are involved in school or daycare closures say their life has been disrupted, including around a third (36%) who say their life has been “severely” disrupted .
- Some Americans have trouble getting supplies they need, including four in ten (42%) who say they cannot get detergent or hand sanitizer. One in five (19%) said they could not get food (30% of those who took the survey between March 13 and 15). A small fraction (4%) were unable to get prescription drugs.
- Despite widespread reports of the limited availability of coronavirus tests, two-thirds of the public (66%) believe they could get a test if they need one. Republicans (73%) and Independents (67%) are more confident than Democrats (54%) about the availability of a test.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to be the most trusted source of reliable information about coronavirus. 85% of the public trust them at least to a reasonable extent. Large majorities also trust local government officials (70%) and state government (71%), while fewer trust the news media (47%) or President Trump (46%).
The survey, designed and analyzed by public opinion researchers of the KFF, was carried out from March 11 to 15, 2020 among a nationally representative sample of 1,216 direct dial telephones. The interviews were conducted in English and Spanish by landline (246) and mobile phone (970). The margin of error in the sample is plus or minus 3 percentage points for the entire sample. Results based on subgroups may have a higher sampling error rate.
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