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U.S. Public Concern About Hospital Capacity Eases Slightly
Politics

U.S. Public Concern About Hospital Capacity Eases Slightly

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Story Highlights

  • Worry about availability of hospital care slips six points to 58%
  • Concern about availability of COVID-19 tests steady at 59%
  • Just under half worry about lack of social distancing in their area

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- As the number of COVID-19 patients hospitalized in New York has eased while the crisis escalates in other parts of the country, 58% of Americans in Â鶹´«Ã½AV interviews collected April 13-19 express concern about the availability of hospital care in their area. The rate has dropped slightly from the 64% recorded April 6-12.

Americans' concern about the "availability of hospital supplies, services and treatment" in their area is on par with their concern about the availability of coronavirus tests, which is statistically unchanged at 59%.

Americans' Concern About COVID-19 Health Risks Where They Live
How worried are you about the following in your local area -- very worried, moderately worried, not too worried, not worried at all?
April 6-12 April 13-19
% %
Availability of coronavirus tests 60 59
Availability of hospital supplies, services and treatment 64 58
Lack of social distancing 50 47
% Very/Moderately worried
Â鶹´«Ã½AV Panel, 2020

Additionally, Â鶹´«Ã½AV asks Americans about "lack of social distancing" where they live, finding that 47% in the past week were very or moderately worried about this. That is similar to the 50% recorded earlier in the month.

These results are based on a nationally representative survey of over 8,000 U.S. adults conducted by web through the probability-based Â鶹´«Ã½AV Panel. More than half of the interviewing for the latest figures was collected before a spate of protests across the country that erupted against state shelter-in-place orders, leading to tweets this past Friday by President Donald Trump encouraging the resistance.

Pessimism on Hospitals Shrinks Among Young Adults, but Not Urban Residents

The recent decline in Americans' concern about the availability of hospital services in their area has occurred more among young than older Americans, but this has only narrowed the generational gaps; young people continue to express more concern than those 50 and older about hospitals.

Concern also fell more steeply among lower- than upper-income Americans, and in the suburbs and town/rural areas but not in cities. Additionally, while concern fell nine percentage points among independents and 10 points among Republicans, it was fairly steady among Democrats.

Trend in Public Concern About Availability of Hospital Supplies, Services and Treatment in Their Area
% Very/Moderately worried
April 6-12 April 13-19 Change
% % pct. pts.
Gender
Men 57 52 -5
Women 70 63 -7
Age
18 to 29 83 72 -11
30 to 49 70 63 -7
50 to 64 55 50 -5
65+ 53 51 -2
Education
College degree 74 70 -4
No college degree 58 51 -7
Household income
Less than $36,000 68 57 -11
$36,000-$89,999 64 58 -6
$90,000 62 59 -3
Type of community
City 72 69 -3
Suburb 67 60 -7
Small town/Rural 56 49 -7
Party ID
Democrats 84 82 -2
Independents 65 56 -9
Republicans 37 27 -10
Â鶹´«Ã½AV Panel, 2020

Democrats and Related Subgroups Worry Most

Looking at the latest data, profound differences persist on all three health concerns by political party -- particularly for coronavirus tests and hospital care -- with large majorities of Democrats worried about each, compared with fewer than a third of Republicans.

Majorities of Americans in most major demographic subgroups -- by gender, age, education and household income -- say they are very or moderately worried about the availability of tests and proper hospital care. But the rate for social distancing falls below the majority level among some groups, including men, older adults, suburban and rural residents, and political independents.

U.S. Public Concern About Three COVID-19-Related Public Health Issues
% Very/Moderately worried about each in their area
Availability of coronavirus tests Availability of hospital
supplies, services
and treatment
Lack of social distancing
% % %
National adults 59 58 47
Gender
Men 54 52 41
Women 63 63 52
Age
18 to 29 71 72 68
30 to 49 62 63 54
50 to 64 52 50 38
65+ 55 51 34
Education
College degree 73 70 55
No college degree 51 51 43
Household income
Less than $36,000 53 57 46
$36,000-$89,999 59 58 48
$90,000+ 61 59 47
Type of community
City 69 69 58
Suburb 60 60 46
Small town/Rural 51 49 42
Party ID
Democrats 84 82 62
Independents 55 56 47
Republicans 29 27 27
Â鶹´«Ã½AV Panel, April 13-19, 2020

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