DFP Coronavirus Response Tracking Poll
By Brian Schaffner, Tufts University
Summary
As the omicron variant is bringing historic coronavirus case counts to the United States, Americans are responding to the new threat, but not curtailing their behavior as much as during previous waves. Our most recent wave of the COVID-19 tracking poll was fielded January 4-6, 2022. In that poll, 28 percent of Americans now report that they are very worried about contracting the coronavirus (the highest level of worry we’ve recorded since March 2021) and 46 percent say they are very concerned about the pandemic (also the highest level since last March). While President Biden received support for his pandemic efforts early in his term, that support has waned. In the most recent wave, just 44 percent of Americans approve of his handling of the pandemic while 50 percent disapprove.
Our survey shows that Americans differ significantly in their vaccine status at this point. Forty-one percent report that they have been vaccinated and received a booster, but 27 percent have only received their base vaccine. Twenty-nine percent of Americans report that they have not received any vaccine shots. About one-in-five adults continue to report that they are unlikely to get the vaccine (18 percent say they are very unlikely to do so). Of course, vaccine mandates continue to be in the news, particularly with recent Supreme Court rulings which produced mixed outcomes for the Biden Administration’s efforts to require vaccines. Fifty-eight percent of Americans agree that “Employers should require proof of a coronavirus vaccine in the health care, food service, and other industries that involve contact with patients or the general public.” Just 31 percent oppose employers mandating vaccines for their employees. Mandates are overwhelmingly supported by Democrats but they divide Republicans; 39 percent of Republicans support employer vaccine mandates while 50 percent are opposed.
Americans are also reporting increased social distancing behaviors since November. Only 31 percent of American adults now report that they are socializing in public places, an 11-point drop from two months ago and the lowest level we have recorded since May. Mask wearing, avoidance of crowds, and avoidance of physical contact with other people have also trended up since November, each reaching levels not seen since last spring. Still, social distancing behaviors are far below what they were prior to when vaccines became widely available in the United States. (To examine trends in social distancing by different political and demographic groups, click here.)
The omicron wave has brought an increase in support for mask mandates in public places. Forty-six percent of Americans now support the government requiring people to wear masks in public places, with an additional 18 percent saying that masks should be required in places where there is an outbreak.
Worry/concern about coronavirus
The graph below tracks the percentage of Americans who say that they are very worried about personally experiencing coronavirus and those who are very concerned in general about the coronavirus pandemic.
Question wording: Taking into consideration both your risk of contracting it and the seriousness of the illness, how worried are you personally about experiencing coronavirus (COVID-19)?
How concerned are you about a coronavirus epidemic here in the United States?
Vaccines
Question wording: When you are eligible to receive a Covid-19 vaccine, how likely are you to get the vaccination?
Approval on handling of coronavirus pandemic
The graph below shows net approval – the percent who strongly or somewhat approve of how Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi, and the CDC are handling the coronavirus pandemic minus the percent who strongly or somewhat disapprove.
Question wording: For each person or group, say whether you approve or disapprove of the way they have handled the coronavirus pandemic:
Question wording: Which level of government do you trust more to handle the Coronavirus pandemic: The [R’s state] state government or the federal government?
Personal experience with coronavirus
Question wording: Was anyone you know who was diagnosed with coronavirus hospitalized? Did anyone you know who was diagnosed with coronavirus die?
Social distancing
Question wording: Which of the following best describes your current behavior?
I am socializing in public places
I am not going to public places, but I am socializing with friends or family in my or their homes
I am not going to public places, but I am socializing with friends or family virtually
I am not going to public places nor am I socializing with family or friends
Masking
Question wording: Which, if any, of the following measures have you taken during the past two weeks to protect yourself from coronavirus (COVID-19)?
Wore a face mask when in public places
Avoided crowded public places
Avoided physical contact with people
Question wording: Some officials have proposed mandating mask usage in areas where there is a significant outbreak of COVID-19. Which statement comes closer to your view, even if none of them are exactly right?
Mask usage should be required by the government in all public places
Mask usage should be required by the government in places where there is a COVID-19 outbreak
Mask usage should not be required by the government but should be encouraged
Mask usage should not be encouraged by the government
Vaccine mandates
Question wording: The U.S. Department of Justice has clarified that under federal law, employers and governments can require their employees to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19. Some employers have said they will require employees to either be vaccinated or be tested for COVID-19 every week. Which statement comes closer to your view, even if neither of them is exactly right?’
Employers should require proof of a COVID-19 vaccine in the health care, food service, and other industries that involve contact with patients or the general public.
Employers should not require proof of a COVID-19 vaccine in the health care, food service, and other industries that involve contact with patients or the general public.
Don’t know.
Methodology
The Data for Progress COVID-19 tracking poll is fielded each week using respondents recruited via Lucid. Post-stratification weights are implemented to make each week’s sample nationally representative of American adults by gender, age, region, education, race, and the interaction of education and race. The data are also weighted to match vote shares from the previous presidential election (2016 prior to November and 2020 after November). The margin of error for each week’s survey is approximately ± 4 percentage points (this is a conservative estimate and will vary slightly depending on the exact sample size and design effect each week).
The raw data for the tracking poll can be found here.