Post by Nadica (She/Her) on Aug 22, 2024 22:45:21 GMT
Axios-Ipsos poll: Uptick in Americans feeling COVID risk - Published Aug 22, 2024
Nearly one-third of Americans see COVID as a threat to their health, but the summertime wave of infections hasn't changed the widespread belief that the virus is no worse than seasonal flu, according to the latest Axios-Ipsos American Health Index.
Why it matters: Comparing COVID to the flu was once an incendiary political talking point. Now, it's where many people have landed.
Driving the news: With infections believed to be growing in more than two dozen states and the Food and Drug Administration poised to approve updated vaccines as soon as this week, 32% of those polled said COVID poses a large or moderate risk to their health, compared with 27% in early June.
But they rate the risk about the same as that for the flu, RSV or other respiratory illnesses — and 52% strongly or somewhat agree that the pandemic is over.
13% said they've worn a face mask in public in the past week, while the number who report they've taken an at-home COVID test ticked up slightly from June, to 15%.
5% said they received a COVID vaccine or booster in the past three months.
"Americans are willing to concede COVID might pose a slightly higher risk to their health, but that's as far as they're going to go," said Ipsos vice president Mallory Newall. "The current isolation and treatment guidance treats it like seasonal flu, and people are content to agree."
While many have put the pandemic behind them, there's still a lingering lack of trust in the government's response and messaging.
Just 35% strongly or somewhat agreed with the statement that America is adequately prepared to deal with another pandemic or widespread health crisis.
35% also agreed that the government makes the health and well-being of citizens a priority.
But 63% said they have a great deal or fair amount of trust in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention information about health topics.
The big picture: Opioids and fentanyl are now virtually tied with obesity as the top threats to public health, with the number of people ranking opioids No. 1 falling 6 percentage points since February 2023, to 20%.
Still, there's substantial support for government policies to detect and seize opioids and other illicit substances being brought into the country from abroad (82%), and to identify and close doctors' practices and clinics that overprescribe opioids (74%).
"Opioids and obesity continue to captivate the public when we look at the threats that we see," Newall said. "Even though there's a drop [in opioids' ranking at No. 1 health threat] there's widespread and strong support to act, to stop the use that's leading to overdoses and deaths."
Mental health issues ranked as the third-biggest threat, with cancer and access to guns tied for fourth. COVID came in seventh.
The Axios-Ipsos index found signs of mounting frustration with costs and delays in the health system — along with surging demand for weight-loss drugs.
3 in 5 Americans support health insurers covering the cost of medications like Ozempic and Wegovy for anyone who wants to obtain a prescription.
8% reported having used the drugs in the last three months — double the percentage that said so in February 2023. That's the equivalent of roughly 20 million more people.
Meanwhile, almost 1 in 5 reported having to wait more than two months for an appointment with a primary care physician (17%) or specialist (18%), with wait times trending longer in the Midwest.
Methodology: This Axios/Ipsos Poll was conducted August 16-19 by Ipsos' KnowledgePanel®. This poll is based on a nationally representative probability sample of 1,063 general population adults age 18 or older.
The margin of sampling error is ±3.2 percentage points at the 95% confidence level, for results based on the entire sample of adults.
Nearly one-third of Americans see COVID as a threat to their health, but the summertime wave of infections hasn't changed the widespread belief that the virus is no worse than seasonal flu, according to the latest Axios-Ipsos American Health Index.
Why it matters: Comparing COVID to the flu was once an incendiary political talking point. Now, it's where many people have landed.
Driving the news: With infections believed to be growing in more than two dozen states and the Food and Drug Administration poised to approve updated vaccines as soon as this week, 32% of those polled said COVID poses a large or moderate risk to their health, compared with 27% in early June.
But they rate the risk about the same as that for the flu, RSV or other respiratory illnesses — and 52% strongly or somewhat agree that the pandemic is over.
13% said they've worn a face mask in public in the past week, while the number who report they've taken an at-home COVID test ticked up slightly from June, to 15%.
5% said they received a COVID vaccine or booster in the past three months.
"Americans are willing to concede COVID might pose a slightly higher risk to their health, but that's as far as they're going to go," said Ipsos vice president Mallory Newall. "The current isolation and treatment guidance treats it like seasonal flu, and people are content to agree."
While many have put the pandemic behind them, there's still a lingering lack of trust in the government's response and messaging.
Just 35% strongly or somewhat agreed with the statement that America is adequately prepared to deal with another pandemic or widespread health crisis.
35% also agreed that the government makes the health and well-being of citizens a priority.
But 63% said they have a great deal or fair amount of trust in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention information about health topics.
The big picture: Opioids and fentanyl are now virtually tied with obesity as the top threats to public health, with the number of people ranking opioids No. 1 falling 6 percentage points since February 2023, to 20%.
Still, there's substantial support for government policies to detect and seize opioids and other illicit substances being brought into the country from abroad (82%), and to identify and close doctors' practices and clinics that overprescribe opioids (74%).
"Opioids and obesity continue to captivate the public when we look at the threats that we see," Newall said. "Even though there's a drop [in opioids' ranking at No. 1 health threat] there's widespread and strong support to act, to stop the use that's leading to overdoses and deaths."
Mental health issues ranked as the third-biggest threat, with cancer and access to guns tied for fourth. COVID came in seventh.
The Axios-Ipsos index found signs of mounting frustration with costs and delays in the health system — along with surging demand for weight-loss drugs.
3 in 5 Americans support health insurers covering the cost of medications like Ozempic and Wegovy for anyone who wants to obtain a prescription.
8% reported having used the drugs in the last three months — double the percentage that said so in February 2023. That's the equivalent of roughly 20 million more people.
Meanwhile, almost 1 in 5 reported having to wait more than two months for an appointment with a primary care physician (17%) or specialist (18%), with wait times trending longer in the Midwest.
Methodology: This Axios/Ipsos Poll was conducted August 16-19 by Ipsos' KnowledgePanel®. This poll is based on a nationally representative probability sample of 1,063 general population adults age 18 or older.
The margin of sampling error is ±3.2 percentage points at the 95% confidence level, for results based on the entire sample of adults.