New national poll: 70% of Americans worried about catching coronavirus

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — Americans are worried about what the coronavirus will do to them and their family members.

A new Nexstar Media/Emerson college poll shows 70 percent of Americans are very worried or somewhat worried that they, or their families, could become sick with the COVID-19 virus.

“There’s a lot of intensity behind that 70 percent,” Emerson College Polling Director Spencer Kimball said.

Kimball says even more Americans — 78 percent — are worried about the impact of the crisis on the economy.

“We are seeing a trend that as far as intensity goes, personal finance right now is front-of-mind as we deal with this crisis, just as much, if not more so, than their health,” Kimball said.

Kimball says an increasing number of Americans say they would be willing to get a coronavirus vaccine, if and when it becomes available. Last month, half of those surveyed wanted a vaccine.

“We asked the same question this month, and now we’re up to about two-thirds of the country. About 65 percent now say they will take the vaccine,” Kimball said.

Kimball says the survey also showed Americans’ confidence in President Trump, in regard to the coronavirus, has improved in recent weeks.

“His numbers actually jump up to almost 49 percent approval and into the low 40s with disapproval. And that’s the type of rally around the president numbers that we were expecting to see,” Kimball said.

Kimball says the poll shows that if Americans have confidence in the president, they’ll have fewer fears about the virus.

But he also says the latest polling data indicates the level of anxiety about the coronavirus crisis, like the virus itself, is likely to get worse before it gets better.