TheHill.com Majority of Americans think COVID-19 situation is getting worse: Gallup poll

Majority of Americans think COVID-19 situation is getting worse: A majority of Americans say they feel that the COVID-19 pandemic is getting worse, according to Joseph Choi TheHill

A majority of Americans say they feel that the COVID-19 pandemic is getting worse, according to a new Gallup poll released on Thursday.

According to the January Gallup poll, 58 percent of respondents said they felt the pandemic was getting a little or a lot worse, while just 20 percent said they felt the pandemic was improving and 22 percent said they thought the situation has stayed the same.

The level of pessimism surrounding the pandemic saw a sharp increase from when the poll was conducted in October, when 18 percent said they felt it was getting worse and 51 percent said it was getting better. However, the rapid spread of the highly-transmissible omicron variant has caused many to feel a sense of hopelessness in the face of a third year in the pandemic.

Gallup observed a corresponding change in behaviors as people's thoughts on the pandemic worsened. More people said they were practicing social distancing behaviors and fewer people said they were eating out at restaurants. ...