The times, they are uncertain. People think the fight against COVID has improved dramatically in recent weeks, up double-digits, but still not good, say Americans who’ve now been through a few up-and-down waves. With a majority still concerned about the virus, it’s not over for them, as people voice both patience with restrictions and some frustration from dealing with it all.
For parents, in particular, there’s still majority support for masking in schools. At the same time, many of them say the pandemic has taken a toll on their kids’ emotional health and education.
The economy is still seen as struggling, but it’s come off its January lows, partly because of the different ways people judge it. Some are using national indicators, many of which have been strong, but many more say they’re rating the economy by the prices they are paying — for food and services, and at the pump. And these people are especially likely to call the economy bad and to say it’s getting worse.
It adds up to this: people rate things in the country better than they did in January, but they still don’t call them good. They express roughly the same mix of being hopeful and scared about the year ahead as they did a year ago. It’s a public that’s been through a lot and may, understandably, be waiting to see where things are headed next.
As coronavirus cases come down in many places, more Americans say efforts against the outbreak are going well, but it’s still a mixed report. Today 47% say things are going well, up from 36% a few weeks ago. Fewer people now than a year ago report that their own mental health is worse as a result of the pandemic.
Overall, there’s still more patience than frustration about preventative measures like masks and restrictions – but there’s plenty of both, neither fully dominates the public mind.
And, it’s important to note we continue to see stark differences in attitudes and approach between the vaccinated and unvaccinated.
That act of getting vaccinated — and now getting a booster — is not seen as a panacea. The fully vaccinated today are mostly supportive of keeping mask requirements, mostly patient about restrictions, and still concerned about catching the virus. The remaining unvaccinated say there shouldn’t be mask requirements, at the same time as they say efforts against the outbreak are going badly. They’re just not that concerned about getting the virus, not encouraged by the effectiveness of measures to confront COVID, and they’re frustrated by them.
Nearly half of parents report feeling exhausted or frustrated by managing the pandemic and kids, but a majority of parents still support masks in schools.
A majority who specifically feel…
Read More: U.S. efforts on pandemic, economy: Things are a bit better, but not yet
