Nattakorn Maneerat/iStockBy GARY LANGER and STEVEN SPARKS
(NEW YORK) — With two-thirds of Americans worried about a second wave of the coronavirus, a new ABC News/Washington Post poll finds nearly 6 in 10 people are unready to resume their pre-pandemic activities, underscoring continued public unease as the nation seeks a return to normalcy.
Impacts of the pandemic are vast. Seventy-nine percent in this national survey say their lives have been disrupted. Fifty-nine percent report severe economic impacts in their community — up from 43% two months ago. Among those employed before the pandemic began, 24% have been laid off or furloughed.
[ CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FULL RESULTS FROM THE POLL ]
For all that, 57% say it’s more important to try to control the spread of the virus than to try to restart the economy. And as states move to reopen, most people are hesitant. Asked if they’re willing at this time to go to stores, restaurants and other public places the way they did before the pandemic, 58% say it’s too early for that.
That result reflects concerns about becoming infected. Sixty-three percent remain very or somewhat worried they or someone in their immediate family may catch the coronavirus. (It was 69% in late March.) And 68% in this poll, produced for ABC News by Langer Research Associates, are worried about a possible second wave of infections.
Greater worries are associated with reluctance to resume normal activities. Among people who are very worried about a second wave — 1 in 3 Americans — 91% say it’s too early to return to public places as they did before the pandemic. Reluctance also is higher among people living in counties with more diagnosed cases, among other groups.
Worries rise in some groups. Eighty-one percent of Hispanics and 75% of blacks are worried they or a family member might catch the disease, for example, compared with 58% of whites.
Further demonstrating the extent of the pandemic, 42% of Americans now know someone personally who has been diagnosed with COVID-19, up nearly fourfold from 11% in late March. That rises to 54% among blacks and the same among those in the Northeast. It also peaks among higher-income and more-educated adults, possibly reflecting disparities in health care access.
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.