In the last few months, America reached critical milestones in the fight against COVID-19. In June, the FDA authorized the use of COVID-19 vaccines for children as young as six months. Additionally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) eased COVID-19 guidelines in August.
Amid these changes, we observed a 9% decrease among respondents who report being concerned about personally contracting COVID-19 ("very" or "extremely") since the beginning of the year. At the same time, our data shows a steady
decrease in mask-wearing (in indoor and outdoor settings) and concern about contracting the virus.
Specifically, we found that 27% of respondents regularly wear a mask indoors, and only 12% of respondents wear a mask outdoors - A decrease of 20% and 37%, respectively.
As fears about contracting the virus fade, there are growing concerns about the economy and inflation. In our latest survey, we asked respondents how concerned they were about various topics.
Our results reveal that slightly more than two-thirds (67%) of respondents worry about rising interest rates and inflation, and 58% of respondents are concerned about a potential recession ("very" or "extremely" concerned). In comparison, roughly 20% of respondents are worried about the BA.5 variant and contracting COVID-19.
Results are based on surveys of 230 respondents from August 26 through August 30, 2022. All surveys were conducted online by respondents in the United States.
For more information about our survey techniques, visit our Methods page.