Harris Poll COVID-19 Tracker Wave 1

The Harris Poll COVID-19 Wave 1 Summary:

Note: fielded weekend from March 05 to March 09, 2020 before announcements of closed schools and non-essential businesses

Americans High on Anxiety/Low on Assessing Risk

As national anxiety rises, half of the nation fears they will die of C19; yet surprisingly the most at-risk and vulnerable are the least concerned (while Millennials are the most concerned)

• 72% of Americans are very concerned about the spread of the virus reaching their local area
• Nearly 6 in 10 (57%) of Millennials vs only 47% of 65+ are concerned about dying due to C19

Seniors Are The Most Defiant (Yet Most Vulnerable)

Despite the fact that nearly all U.S. deaths from the Coronavirus have been among adults ages 60+ our Harris Poll study finds that seniors are the least concerned

• Only 47% of 65+ are concerned about dying from Coronavirus vs nearly 6 in 10 (57%) of Millennials
• The fatality rate of C19 for patients ages 80+ is close to 15% vs the average overall case fatality rate of 2.3%

In a lifestyle of leisure, seniors mistakenly think they’re not at risk

• 77% of 65+ believe that they are unlikely to catch the Coronavirus given their personal day-to-day habits vs 67% of millennials
• Meanwhile, the CDC suggests older people are twice as likely to have serious illness from the novel coronavirus
• 25% of adults 65+ admit they are not very knowledgeable about the Coronavirus

With an emphasis on family, seniors are defiant in maintaining social activity

• 81% of 65+ are still willing to attend family social gatherings vs only 71% of millennials
• Only 11% of 65+ have opted out of participating in group activities

Their leisure lifestyle oriented on routine & rituals is proving hard to shake

• 91% of 65+ are still willing to go to grocery stores vs 77% of Millennials
• 76% of 65+ are still willing to go to restaurants vs 68% of Millennials

American Women Most Concerned

Women are more concerned than men about the spread of C19 in their community, while Millennial/Gen X Men are more concerned than women about dying from the virus….

• 82% of women are very concerned about the spread of the virus in the U.S. vs 72% of men
• 75% of women are very concerned about the virus reaching their local area vs 68% of men
• Meanwhile, 63% of men ages 35-44 are very concerned about dying from C19 vs only 58% of women ages 35-44

Americans are Cocooning

Americans are shifting behavior by avoiding non-necessity outings, for now. A boon to Peloton, Clorox, e-sports, Pearson and Netflix, not Live Nation, Equinox and Travel/Hospitality Industry

• Over 8 in 10 are still willing to go to the grocery store, work, pharmacies and social gatherings
• Meanwhile, less than half are willing to go to sporting events (44%), bars (42%), and gyms (42%)
• 83% still feel obligated to go to work even though they are unwilling to go to other public places
• 53% are still willing to go to schools despite the Coronavirus outbreak

The Corona Echo-chamber

C19 is all Americans can talk about but the way we’re talking about it is likely making national anxiety worse

• 63% have talked to someone about C19 (friends, family, colleagues, doctors) since the outbreak
• 60% say “People I know talk about the Coronavirus like it’s a horror movie”
• 61% are concerned xenophobia will increase in America due to the Coronavirus outbreak
• A quarter of Americans feel un-knowledgeable about the Coronavirus

Losing Further Faith in Govt. & Media

Americans, now awakening to the real threat, are frustrated at Government’s effectiveness, but also blame the media for ‘dramatizing’ the Coronavirus outbreak

• U.S. women are more likely to be concerned about the government’s ability to effectively respond to C-19
• 71% of Americans are concerned about the government being able to effective respond to C-19 and (58%) think politicians are downplaying the risk of Coronavirus in the U.S.
• However, 61% also feel that the media is overhyping the C-19 outbreak.

METHODOLOGY

This survey was fielded online among a nationally representative sample of 2,019 U.S adults from March 05 – 09, 2020

ABOUT THE HARRIS POLL

The Harris Poll is one of the longest running surveys in the U.S. tracking public opinion, motivations and social sentiment since 1963 that is now part of Harris Insights & Analytics, a global consulting and market research firm that delivers social intelligence for transformational times. We work with clients in three primary areas; building twenty-first-century corporate reputation, crafting brand strategy and performance tracking, and earning organic media through public relations research. Our mission is to provide insights and advisory to help leaders make the best decisions possible. Learn more at our website and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn. For specific questions and media inquiries please contact Tawny Saez.