Story at a glance
- A new AP/NORC poll shows renewed fear over contracting COVID-19.
- The spike in worry coincides with a surge in cases driven by the delta variant.
- Adherence to public health protocols remains broadly unchanged.
Concern surrounding a COVID-19 infection has reached a five-month high, according to new national data sourced from The Associated Press and NORC institution.
Forty-one percent of respondents surveyed between Aug. 12 and 16 across the country say they are extremely or very worried that they or a member of their family would become infected. Similar levels of anxiety surrounding contracting a COVID-19 infection have not been seen since January 2021, with 43 percent of respondents reporting being worried about an infection.
All-time pandemic highs of concern about testing positive for COVID-19 were recorded in March 2020 at its onset, where half the population was either “extremely or very worried” about contracting COVID-19.
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This concern stems from the recent resurgence of infections brought on by the spread of delta variant infections across the nation. Clinical data indicates that the delta variant is both more contagious and has the potential to cause more severe illnesses, especially among unvaccinated individuals.
Given the renewed threat of contracting COVID-19, confidence in the COVID-19 vaccines has remained stable over the past few months, with 26 percent of Americans feeling “extremely” confident and 40 percent feeling “somewhat” confident.
Public health precaution habits have also remained largely unchanged since June.
The majority of Americans reported continuing to social distance, and a slight majority said they continue to avoid nonessential travel.
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