Two-Thirds of Americans Think Deadly Pandemics Are Rising

A new poll suggests two-thirds of Americans believe that pandemics will be a dangerous threat, and that the nation is not ready to handle it.

On March 11, 2020, COVID-19 was declared a pandemic in the United States by the WHO after approximately 118,000 cases rose across the globe. Life as we knew it changed forever.

After over three years, most restrictions — like mask mandates —have been lifted. However, a new PAX sapiens and Pandemic Action Network poll revealed that 61% of U.S. individuals strongly believe that "we are now in an era of increased risk due to deadly infectious disease outbreaks and pandemic threats that can land at our doorstep in a matter of days."

Only around 20% of individuals opposed the assertion. Around 45% of Americans said the nation was "very unprepared" for the pandemic, while 24% answered that the government was "somewhat" prepared. Approximately 4% of Americans reported that the country was "very prepared."

According to the poll, many Americans want to observe the government providing more financial stability for pandemic readiness, with more than 60% suggesting additional federal and state spending. Furthermore, 46% reported they advocate for pandemic preparedness funding globally, with 53% saying they'd like to see global preparedness for the pandemic to prevent more fatal outbreaks.

Out of 2,000 Americans who participated in the poll, some experienced personal loss due to the pandemic, which contributed to their desire to increase federal funding and heighten pandemic preparedness.

The poll concluded: "All in all, respondents consistently agreed with the idea that pandemic preparedness should be a priority for government investment. No matter how the question was asked, or what specific type of funding or source of funding was considered, participants wanted to see the government prioritize funding for pandemic preparedness."

The poll collected data from 2,000 Americans from January 4 to the 19th by YouGov.