Number Of Americans Pessimistic About Pandemic Increases To 58% Amid Omicron Surge - Poll

Some 58% of Americans now believe the coronavirus Omicron variant surge has made the COVID-19 pandemic worse and general pessimism about the course of the contagious disease is growing again across the United States, a Gallup poll revealed on Thursday

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th January, 2022) Some 58% of Americans now believe the coronavirus Omicron variant surge has made the COVID-19 pandemic worse and general pessimism about the course of the contagious disease is growing again across the United States, a Gallup poll revealed on Thursday.

"As was the case last July, when Delta infections began to surge, Americans' worry about contracting the virus is now on the rise," Gallup said in a news release about the poll. "Worry has jumped 12 points to 50% since the previous reading in late November/early December and is now the highest it has been since last winter."

Gallup said in the release that only 20% of Americans think the pandemic is improving, 22% believe it is staying the same and 58% are convinced it is getting worse.

Some 50 % are worried about contracting COVID-19; up 12 points since late November. Also, social distancing behaviors are on the rise and 72% continue to wear masks in public, the release also said.

"The hopefulness Americans felt last spring after the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines was first dashed over the summer by the delta variant, then recovered briefly as cases subsided, and is now being crushed by Omicron," the release added.

Despite the Omicron variant producing mild cases and being significantly less deadly, optimism about the trajectory of the pandemic in the United States has fallen sharply, and worry about contracting the virus has risen to its highest level in a year, according to the release.