September 6, 2022 – According to a poll issued by The New York Times newsletter The Morning, Americans on the left side of the political spectrum have become less anxious about COVID-19.
When the poll was conducted six months ago, 47% of “very liberal adults said that they believed COVID presented a ‘great risk’ to their own personal health and well-being. That was a significantly larger than among conservatives, moderates or even liberals who stopped short of calling themselves very liberal.”
The most recent poll showed how much attitudes have changed since the spring. That same group of the “very liberal” who were very concerned about the risk of COVID-19 has fallen to 34%, a much larger drop than any of the six other ideological self-identifications in the poll.
Part of the change in perspective is the “reflection of changing reality,” according to The Morning’s editor, David Leonhart. He writes “Drugs like Paxlovid and Evusheld are now widely available, reducing the risks for vulnerable people. But psychology seems to play a role too. After all, many aspects of the pandemic have not changed in the past six months. Both then and now, vaccines provided excellent protection against severe illness; the risks of hospitalization for children and most adults under 50 were minuscule; and the vaccines reduced the chances of long COVID.”
As time continues to move forward without any significant changes in the virus, the level of COVID anxiety will likely continue to decline as well. Booster shots that target the omicron variant have been approved by the FDA, giving an even greater level of protection than before.