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Even though COVID-19 cases are beginning to pick up again in the U.S., about 74% of Americans say their lives have returned to “normal,” according to a new poll by Yahoo News and YouGov.
The survey, which took place Nov. 17-19, included nearly 1,700 adults. They answered questions about the pandemic, their lives, and opinions about the future.
About 21% characterized their lives as “very normal,” and 53% said their lives were “somewhat normal,” considering the effects of the pandemic. About 15% said that things “never stopped being normal” for them.
At the same time, more than a quarter of those who were polled felt like their lives were still disrupted. About 19% said their lives are “not very normal,” while 7% said “not normal at all.”
Unvaccinated Americans who took part in the poll were more likely to say their lives were unaffected. About 70% described their lives as normal, with 25% saying their lives were “very normal” and 27% saying their lives “never stopped being normal.”
What’s more, about 65% of unvaccinated Americans said COVID-19 poses a small threat or no threat to them personally. About 42% of unvaccinated Americans said they wear a mask in public “always” or “most of the time,” as compared with 63% of vaccinated Americans.
The poll also asked people why their lives felt normal again. About 57% of those polled — which represented the group who said their lives stopped being normal due to the pandemic but felt better again — mentioned vaccines. They cited numerous reasons, such as being vaccinated personally, their children being vaccinated, older adults in their lives being vaccinated, and receiving a booster shot.
When asked to name the single most important reason why their lives were normal again, 30% mentioned vaccines and vaccine availability. That was higher than any other category. About 7% said businesses were fully reopened in their community, 4% said cases were low in their community, and 5% said they don’t have to wear a mask in public. Others mentioned that schools were open again or that they already had COVID-19.
But when asked if the pandemic was “over” in the U.S., 71% said no. Only 16% said yes.
Looking ahead, about 44% of poll participants said they think the pandemic will get worse, and 39% said they think it will stay the same this winter. About 16% said it will get better.
Source
Yahoo News: “Poll: As winter COVID surge begins, 74 percent of Americans say their lives have returned to ‘normal.'”
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