Coronavirus Fears Surge in U.S.

With cities around the United States taking extraordinary measures to distance people from one another during the coronavirus outbreak, the fear and worry about COVID-19 among Americans has risen sharply from just a month ago.

In a poll conducted in February and March by Gallup, 60 percent of all U.S. adults say they are worried about their potential exposure to the fast-spreading coronavirus. This number is up substantially from February, where only 36 percent of U.S. adults expressed fear or worry about their exposure to the COVID-19 disease.

All demographics in the poll showed large increases in fear and anxiety about the coronavirus. Those responding as Democrats saw the largest shift, where 26 percent of Democrats in February turned into 73 percent expressing fear in March. Republicans saw a modest increase, going from 30 percent to 42 percent.

Despite calls from governments and local authorities saying asymptomatic carriers of the coronavirus could still spread the disease, young adults have still flocked to bars and restaurants in large cities. The fear of exposure has increased from 40 percent to 54 percent among those aged 18-29. However, those aged 65 or over who may be at a higher risk of complications with coronavirus saw 59 percent responding with fear compared to just 30 percent a month prior.