The following is from Gallup News.
A new Gallup poll finds that 59% of Americans say the COVID-19 pandemic is over, a steady figure from last year. However, 58% worry that another global pandemic will occur in their lifetime, with 16% saying they are very worried. Concern about future pandemics is sharply divided along party lines, with 78% of Democrats expressing concern, compared to 57% of independents and just 34% of Republicans.
Nearly half of Americans (47%) say their life has fully returned to normal, while 13% expect it eventually will and 40% say it never will. Republicans (79%) are most likely to say the pandemic is over, compared to 61% of independents and 43% of Democrats.
Concerns about catching COVID-19 remain low. Just 21% say they are somewhat or very worried, and 54% say they never wear a mask. Only 5% report wearing a mask always or very often.
COVID-19 vaccination rates have declined overall, with just 46% of Americans receiving a shot in the past six months. A significant partisan gap remains: 66% of Democrats report getting a recent COVID-19 vaccine, compared to 24% of Republicans.
Most Americans say they have had COVID-19 at some point, with 72% reporting they tested positive or suspected they had it. Personal experiences with COVID-19 over the past five years have varied:
- 72% of U.S. adults say they have had, or suspected they had, COVID-19 at least once in the past five years, while 28% say they have never had it.
- 16% say they tested positive for COVID-19 but were asymptomatic.
- 11% report developing Long COVID, with symptoms lasting three months or more.
- 2% say they were hospitalized due to COVID-19.
For more information, read the full article here.
