FOR RELEASE MARCH 26, 2020

Worries About
Coronavirus Surge, as
Most Americans Expect a
Recession – or Worse
Trump’s job approval at highest point in three years

FOR MEDIA OR OTHER INQUIRIES:

Carroll Doherty, Director of Political Research

Jocelyn Kiley, Associate Director, Research
Nida Asheer, Communications Associate

202.419.4372

www.pewresearch.org

RECOMMENDED CITATION
Pew Research Center, March, 2020, “Worries About
Coronavirus Surge, as Most Americans Expect a
Recession – or Worse”
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PEW RESEARCH CENTER

About Pew Research Center

Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes
and trends shaping America and the world. It does not take policy positions. It conducts public
opinion polling, demographic research, content analysis and other data-driven social science
research. The Center studies U.S. politics and policy; journalism and media; internet, science and
technology; religion and public life; Hispanic trends; global attitudes and trends; and U.S. social
and demographic trends. All of the Center’s reports are available at www.pewresearch.org. Pew
Research Center is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts, its primary funder.

© Pew Research Center 2020

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How we did this

Pew Research Center conducted this study to understand how Americans are continuing to
respond to the coronavirus outbreak. For this analysis, we surveyed 11,537 U.S. adults in March
2020. Everyone who took part is a member of Pew Research Center’s American Trends Panel
(ATP), an online survey panel that is recruited through national, random sampling of residential
addresses. This way nearly all U.S. adults have a chance of selection. The survey is weighted to be
representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation,
education and other categories. Read more about the ATP’s methodology.

Here are the questions used for the report, along with responses, and its methodology.

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Worries About Coronavirus Surge, as Most

Americans Expect a Recession – or Worse
Trump’s job approval at highest point in three years
Americans are increasingly
alarmed by the rapid spread of Sharp rise in shares of Americans saying coronavirus
the new coronavirus, with is major threat to health, economy, personal finances
sharply growing majorities % who say the coronavirus outbreak is a major threat to …

saying the outbreak poses a

major threat to the health of
the U.S. population and the
nation’s economy. Many report
that their own lives are already
being negatively affected: 33%
say they or someone in their
household has lost their job or
suffered a pay cut or reduction
in work hours because of the
coronavirus.

% who say the economic impact on the U.S. will be a …

There is broad public
agreement that the nation is
confronting a crisis. Two-thirds
of Americans – including
majorities in all major Note: No answer responses not shown.
demographic and partisan Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted March 19-24, 2020.

groups – say COVID-19 is a PEW RESEARCH CENTER

“significant crisis.”

And their outlook for the national economy is bleak. Nearly two-thirds of Americans (65%) say the
coronavirus outbreak will cause a recession or depression in the U.S., including nearly one-in-five
(17%) who anticipate a depression.

Less than two weeks ago, 47% said the coronavirus outbreak was a major threat to the health of
the U.S. population. Today, 66% say it is major threat to the health of Americans. An even larger
majority – 88% – says COVID-19 poses a major threat to the U.S. economy, up from 70% in mid-
March.

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PEW RESEARCH CENTER

Americans continue to be less anxious about the personal impact of the coronavirus outbreak.
Still, there have been significant increases in the shares saying the outbreak is a major threat to
their own health (36% currently) and personal finances (49%).

While Democrats remain more likely than Republicans to say that the coronavirus outbreak is a
major threat to public health and the economy, concerns have risen among members of both
parties. They also have increased in states experiencing a large number of coronavirus cases and
those that so far have been less seriously affected.

The new national survey by Pew Research Center, conducted March 19-24 among 11,537 U.S.
adults using the Center’s American Trends Panel, finds that despite the partisan differences in
views on several aspects of the outbreak, there also are important areas of agreement. Notably,
majorities in both parties say it is necessary to impose strict limitations on commerce, travel and
entertainment in order to
address the outbreak.
Large majorities say restrictions on travel, closures of
businesses have been necessary responses
About seven-in-ten adults
% who say each of the following has been a necessary step to address the
(71%) say that to address the coronavirus outbreak
coronavirus, it is necessary to
require most businesses other
than grocery stores or
pharmacies to close. A larger
share of Democrats and
Democratic-leaning
independents (81%) than
Republicans and GOP leaners
(61%) view this requirement as
necessary.

An even larger majority (85%)

thinks it is necessary to limit
restaurants to carry-out only.
And with a growing number of
states announcing delays of
their upcoming primary Note: No answer responses not shown.
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted March 19-24, 2020.
elections, 70% say this is a
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
necessary step to take because
of the coronavirus.

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The public is largely positive about the way that U.S. public health officials, such as those with the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are responding to the outbreak. Nearly eight-
in-ten (79%) say these officials are doing an excellent or good job; majorities of Republicans (84%)
and Democrats (74%) express positive views of the response by public health officials.

State and local elected officials also receive high marks – again, among members of both parties –
for their response to the outbreak. And 63% of
adults say that ordinary people in their
community are doing an excellent or good job Most in both parties say public health,
responding to the coronavirus. state and local officials are doing well
responding to COVID-19 outbreak
Opinions about how President Donald Trump is % who rate ___ as doing an excellent/good job
responding to the coronavirus outbreak
handling the crisis are less positive, and more
divided by partisanship. Nearly half of adults
(48%) say Trump is doing an excellent or good
job responding to the outbreak; an
overwhelming majority of Republicans (83%)
express positive views, compared with just 18%
of Democrats.

However, Trump’s overall job rating is higher

than it has been since the first few months of
his presidency. Currently, 45% approve of the
way he is handling his job as president, while
52% disapprove. In January, 40% approved of
Trump’s job performance.

Since then, Trump’s job approval has increased Note: No answer responses not shown.
significantly among a number of groups, Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted March 19-24, 2020.
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
including members of both parties, women
(from 37% in January to 44% today), black
adults (from 8% to 18%) and Hispanic adults (from 27% to 37%).

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The new survey also finds that the public is generally confident that the nation’s hospitals and
medical centers will be able to care for people afflicted with COVID-19 (see “Most Americans are
confident hospitals can handle the needs of the seriously ill during COVID-19 outbreak”). All of the
data in this report can be explored further by using the Election News Pathways data tool.

Here are some other major findings from the survey:

Divided views of how people across the country are reacting to COVID-19. Only about quarter of
Americans (28%) say ordinary people across the country are reacting about right to the
coronavirus outbreak; 31% say ordinary people are overreacting to the outbreak, while 40% say
they are not taking it seriously enough. The public also has mixed views about how ordinary
people in their community are reacting. But 86% say people in their household are reacting about
right to the coronavirus outbreak.

News media’s response to coronavirus outbreak. In the new survey, 54% say the news media have
done an excellent or good job responding to coronavirus outbreak. Yet, as in an earlier survey,
Democrats are more likely than Republicans to rate the media’s performance responding to the
outbreak positively.

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1. Public views of the coronavirus’s impact on the U.S.

Nearly nine-in-ten Americans (88%) now say the coronavirus outbreak is a major threat to the
U.S. economy and 66% say it’s a major threat to the health of the U.S. population as a whole. Both
shares are nearly 20 percentage points higher than they were earlier this month, in a survey
fielded March 10-16.

The public continues to see the Rising concern about the threats posed by the
coronavirus outbreak as coronavirus, including the impact on public health
presenting more serious % who say the coronavirus outbreak is a major threat to …

threats to the nation than to

them personally.

About half (49%) say the virus

is a major threat to their own
personal finances; another 40%
say it is a minor threat. When it
comes to personal health, more
say the coronavirus presents a
minor (52%) than major (36%)
threat.

Compared with national

concerns, fewer say the
coronavirus is a major threat to
their own finances and health,
but these shares also are up
significantly from a few weeks
ago. The public has become 15
points more likely to say the
virus is a major threat to their
finances, and they are 9 points
more likely to say it’s a major Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted March 19-24, 2020.

threat to their own health. PEW RESEARCH CENTER

Democrats and Democratic leaners remain more likely than Republicans and Republican leaners
to say the coronavirus outbreak is a major threat across all four areas of concern tested in the
survey. For instance, 78% of Democrats say the coronavirus is a major threat to the health of the

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U.S. public, compared with 52% of Republicans. However, over the past few weeks, both groups
have become significantly more likely to say the virus presents major threats to all four items in
the survey.

Reflecting widespread concerns Majority of Americans say COVID-19 outbreak is a

about the threats posed by the ‘significant crisis’
coronavirus, 67% describe the % who say the coronavirus outbreak is a …

outbreak as a significant crisis; Significant Serious problem, Minor Not a

crisis not a crisis problem problem
far fewer describe it as a
Total 67 28
serious problem, but not a
crisis (28%), and just 4% say it
Ages 18-29 57 36
is a minor problem or not a
30-49 67 29
problem at all.
50-64 69 27
65+ 76 21
A larger share of Democrats
(75%) than Republicans (58%)
Postgraduate 79 19
view the outbreak as a
College grad 75 22
significant crisis for the
Some college 66 30
country.
HS or less 61 33

Older people (ages 65 and

Rep/Lean Rep 58 36
older), those with at least a
Dem/Lean Dem 75 21
college education, those
following news about the
Urban 74 22
outbreak very closely and
Suburban 67 29
people in urban areas are
Rural 61 33
especially likely to describe the
coronavirus outbreak in the Following news about
most serious terms and call it a the outbreak ...
Very closely 79 19
significant crisis.
Less closely 52 40

Note: No answer responses not shown.

Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted March 19-24, 2020.
PEW RESEARCH CENTER

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The national – and personal – economic impacts of the coronavirus

Asked to consider the economic
impact of the coronavirus on Most expect the coronavirus will lead to an economic
the U.S., nearly half (48%) say recession – or a depression – in the U.S.
it will cause a recession, while % who say the economic impact of the coronavirus on the U.S. will be a …
another 17% think it will cause Depression Recession Economic
slowdown
a depression. About a third Total 17 48 34
(34%) expect a less severe
economic impact and say the Postgraduate 20 61 18
coronavirus will result in an College grad 18 57 24
economic slowdown, but not a Some college 17 47 35
recession or depression. HS or less 15 39 43

Rep/Lean Rep 12 44 43
Republicans and Republican
Conserv 10 43 47
leaners are less likely to expect
Mod/Lib 15 46 38
a severe economic impact than
Democrats and Democratic
Dem/Lean Dem 22 52 25
leaners, though majorities of Cons/Mod 20 49 30
both groups expect the U.S. to Liberal 26 57 18
suffer a recession or a
Following news about
depression. the outbreak ...
Very closely 20 49 31
More than four-in-ten Less closely 14 46 38
Republicans (44%) say the Note: No answer responses not shown.
coronavirus outbreak will lead Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted March. 19-24, 2020.

to a recession, while another PEW RESEARCH CENTER

12% say it will result in a

depression. Among Democrats 52% say they expect a recession, while 22% say the outbreak will
lead to a depression.

Those with higher levels of education are more likely than those with lower levels to expect severe
national economic impacts. For instance, about eight-in-ten with a postgraduate degree (81%)
expect either a recession (61%) or depression (20%) in the U.S. Among those with no college
experience, 54% expect either a recession (39%) or depression (15%).

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PEW RESEARCH CENTER

Americans have already begun

A third of Americans say someone in their household
to experience negative job
lost a job or taken a pay cut as a result of COVID-19
impacts from the coronavirus
% who say they, or someone in their household, have ___ because of the
outbreak. Overall, 20% say coronavirus outbreak
they, or someone in their
household, have been laid off
or lost a job because of the
coronavirus; 27% say a
member of their household
has experienced a pay cut or a
reduction in work hours.

Taken together, 33% say they,

or someone in their
household, have lost a job or
taken a pay cut (or both)
because of the coronavirus
outbreak.

Hispanics, younger people and

lower-income people have
been hit especially hard by
coronavirus job impacts.

Nearly half of Hispanics (49%)

say their household has had
someone lose their job or take
a pay cut because of the
COVID-19 outbreak. Smaller
Notes: Whites and blacks include only those who are not Hispanic; Hispanics are of any
shares of black (36%) and race. Family incomes are based on 2018 earnings and adjusted for differences in
purchasing power by geographic region and for household size.
white (29%) people say the Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted March 19-24, 2020.
same. PEW RESEARCH CENTER

Among the youngest adults,

ages 18 to 29, 46% say they or someone in their household has lost a job or had their pay cut
because of the coronavirus outbreak. Smaller shares of those ages 30 to 49 (36%), 50 to 64 (32%)
and 65 and older (19%) say their household has faced either or both of these setbacks.

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PEW RESEARCH CENTER

Lower-income Americans are almost twice as likely as upper-income Americans to say they or
someone in their household has taken a pay cut or lost a job because of the coronavirus (43% vs.
22%). About a third (31%) of middle-income people say this has happened to them or someone in
their household. (See appendix for more details on how income tiers are defined.)

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PEW RESEARCH CENTER

Views on the personal health threat posed by the coronavirus

Most Americans view the
coronavirus as a threat to their Sizable age, racial and ethnic differences in views of
own personal health, though whether coronavirus is major threat to people’s health
more view it as a minor (52%) % who say the coronavirus outbreak is a ___ threat to their personal health
than major (36%) threat; just Not a
Major Minor
11% say it is not a threat. threat
Total 36 52 11
Older adults and black and
Hispanic people are especially Men 32 55 13

likely to say the coronavirus is Women 40 50 10

a major threat to their own

personal health. White 30 58 12
Black 49 38 12
Hispanic 48 43 8
Nearly half of black people
(49%) and Hispanics (48%)
Ages 18-29 27 57 16
say the coronavirus is a major
30-49 31 55 13
threat to their own health.
50-64 40 50 9
Among white people, 30% say
65+ 47 46 7
this.

Postgraduate 32 59 9
Adults ages 50 and older see a
College grad 29 60 11
greater personal health threat
Some college 36 51 13
from the coronavirus than
HS or less 41 48 11
those under age 50. Nearly
half (47%) of those 65 and
Urban 40 49 11
older and 40% of those ages
Suburban 35 55 10
50 to 64 see the virus as a
Rural 33 53 13
major threat to their own
health; smaller shares of those Notes: No answer responses not shown. Whites and blacks include only those who are not
Hispanic; Hispanics are of any race.
ages 30 to 49 (31%) and 18 to Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted March 19-24, 2020.
29 (27%) say the same. PEW RESEARCH CENTER

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2. Views of how officials, public have responded to COVID-19

Most Americans say several key
actors in the country’s response
to the coronavirus outbreak – Majority gives positive rating to outbreak response
especially public health officials from public health officials, state and local officials
% who rate the job each is doing responding to the coronavirus outbreak …
and those serving in state and
local elected offices – are doing
a good or excellent job. Nearly
eight in ten U.S. adults (79%)
say public health officials (such
as those at the CDC) have done
an excellent or good job in their
response to the outbreak,
including 30% who say their
response has been excellent.
Clear majorities of Americans
also say their state elected Note: No answer responses not shown.
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted March 19-24, 2020.
officials (70%), local elected
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
officials (69%) and ordinary
people in their local
community (63%) are doing a good or excellent job responding to COVID-19.

Just over half of Americans (54%) rate the news media’s response to the outbreak positively, while
46% rate it negatively.

The public is about evenly split in their views of how Donald Trump is responding to the outbreak,
with 48% saying he has done a good or excellent job and 51% saying his response has been only
fair or poor.

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PEW RESEARCH CENTER

Republicans and Democrats alike give positive

Wide partisan gap in views of Donald
assessments of public health officials’ response
Trump’s response to coronavirus
to the coronavirus outbreak: 84% of
% who rate ___ as doing an excellent/good job in
Republicans and Republican-leaning their response to the coronavirus outbreak
independents rate their response as excellent or
good, while 74% of Democrats and Democratic
leaners say the same.

In contrast, partisans offer starkly different

ratings of the job Trump has done. About eight-
in-ten (83%) Republicans say Trump has done
a good or excellent job responding to the
outbreak, including 47% who say he has done
an excellent job. But just 18% of Democrats rate
Trump’s performance positively (81% of
Democrats say he has done an only fair or poor
job, including 56% who give him a poor rating).

There’s also a wide partisan gap in perceptions

of how the news media have done responding to Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted March 19-24, 2020.
the coronavirus outbreak. Most Democrats PEW RESEARCH CENTER

(68%) say they have done an excellent or good

job. By contrast, just 37% of Republicans rate their performance positively.

Partisan views about other key actors in the country’s response to coronavirus are more closely
aligned.

About two-thirds of Republicans (68%) and six-in-ten Democrats (60%) say ordinary people in
their community are doing an excellent or good job in response to the coronavirus outbreak, and
73% of Republicans and 66% of Democrats rate the performance of their local elected officials
positively.

Overall, roughly seven-in-ten Republicans (72%) and Democrats (69%) give positive ratings to
their state elected officials. Views of state officials’ handling of the outbreak are most positive
among partisans living in states controlled by members of their own party: 79% of Republicans
with GOP control of statehouses and governorships and 76% of Democrats in Democratic-
controlled states rate their state elected officials’ performance positively. Still, majorities of those
living in states controlled by the other party also offer positive evaluations of their state

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PEW RESEARCH CENTER

government’s response (59% of Republicans in Democratic-controlled states, 60% of Democrats in

GOP-controlled states).

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PEW RESEARCH CENTER

Trump’s approval rating rises

Americans’ views of the way Donald Trump is
handling his job as president have improved
since January; 45% now approve of the
president’s job performance while 52%
disapprove.
Trump’s job approval at highest point in
nearly three years
% who ___ of the way Trump is handling his job as
president

The share approving of Trump is up 5

Disapprove
percentage points since January and is at the
63 61 61
60 59 58
highest level recorded in a Pew Research Center 56
52
survey since March 2017, when 44% of
Americans said they approved of the president’s
44 45
job performance. 40 40
36 38 38 38
Approve
Trump’s approval rating has improved among
both Republicans and Democrats. Among
Republicans and Republican leaners, 85% now 2017 2018 2019 2020
approve of Trump’s job performance, compared % who approve of the way Trump is handling his job as
with 80% in January. Among Democrats and president

Democratic leaners, the share approving 84 85

81 81 81 80
increased from 7% to 12% over the same period. 76
74

Rep/Lean Rep

Dem/Lean Dem
11 12
7 6 6 6 6 7

2017 2018 2019 2020

Note: No answer responses not shown.
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted March 19-24, 2020.
PEW RESEARCH CENTER

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PEW RESEARCH CENTER

For the most part, broad demographic

Public views of Trump’s job performance
differences in views of Trump’s job
% who ___ of the way Trump is handling his job as
performance are unchanged. Trump continues president
to be viewed much more positively by older
people, those without a bachelor’s degree and
white Americans than among younger people,
those with a college degree or more education
and among black and Hispanic Americans.

While men remain somewhat more likely than

women to approve of Trump, the gender gap
has narrowed. Men’s views of Trump’s
performance are only slightly more positive
than in January (48% today, 44% then), while
Trump’s approval rating among women has
improved by 6 percentage points since then
(43% today, 37% in January).

While majorities of black and Hispanic adults

continue to disapprove of Trump’s
performance, his standing with these groups is
more positive than it was in January. In
January, 8% of black Americans approved of
Trump’s job performance, but today 18% say
this (78% disapprove, including 58% who say
they disapprove strongly). Among Hispanics,
37% now say they approve of Trump’s job
performance, up from 27% in January.

Notes: Whites and blacks include only those who are not Hispanic;
Hispanics are of any race. No answer responses not shown.
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted March 19-24, 2020.
PEW RESEARCH CENTER

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Majorities say their own household is reacting about right to COVID-19

The public is confident that members of their own household are responding appropriately to the
coronavirus outbreak, but they are more critical of others in their community and people around
the county.

Overall, 86% say the people in

their household are reacting Most say their state and local governments are
about right to the outbreak. reacting about right to the coronavirus outbreak
Fewer than one-in-ten say that % who say each of the following is …

people in their own household

are either overreacting (6%) or
underreacting (8%) to the
situation.

However, fewer than half

(46%) say that ordinary people
in their community are reacting
about right to the outbreak.
About as many say members of
their community aren’t taking
the outbreak seriously enough
as say they’re overreacting Note: No answer responses not shown.
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted March 19-24, 2020.
(27% vs. 26%).
PEW RESEARCH CENTER

The public is even more critical

of ordinary people around the country: Just 28% say they are reacting about right. Four-in-ten say
people around the country aren’t taking the coronavirus outbreak seriously enough, compared
with 31% who think they are overreacting.

As school systems across the country have announced closures in an effort to slow the spread of
the coronavirus, large shares of adults say that their local school systems are reacting
appropriately to the outbreak. Most Americans (86%) say that their local school system’s reaction
to the coronavirus outbreak has been about right. Relatively few say their school systems are
overreacting to the outbreak (10%) or not taking it seriously enough (4%).

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PEW RESEARCH CENTER

Local and state governments also receive high marks in this regard. More than seven-in-ten say
that their local government (74%) and their state government (72%) are each reacting about right
to the coronavirus outbreak.

Republicans and Democrats

offer somewhat different
Nearly half of Democrats say people around the
critiques of how institutions
country are not taking outbreak seriously enough
and people in the country are
% who say each of the following are …
responding to the coronavirus
outbreak. Among those who
don’t think the response has
been appropriate, Democrats
tend to be more likely to say
actors aren’t taking the
outbreak seriously enough,
while Republicans are more
inclined to say they are
overreacting.

Similar shares of Republicans

and Republican leaners (47%) Note: No answer responses not shown.
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted March 19-24, 2020.
and Democrats and Democratic
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
leaners (46%) say the people in
their community are reacting
about right to the coronavirus outbreak. Of those who do not say this, Republicans are more likely
to say those in their community are overreacting than underreacting (30% vs. 22%). Among
Democrats, more say their community members are not taking the outbreak seriously enough
(32%) than overreacting (21%).

This pattern is even more pronounced in how partisans assess the reactions of ordinary people
across the country. About half of Democrats (48%) say that people across the country are
underreacting to the outbreak, compared with 27% who say they’re reacting about right and 25%
who say they are overreacting. By contrast, a plurality of Republicans (39%) say people around the
country are overreacting to the outbreak; somewhat fewer say they are either responding about
right (30%) or not taking it seriously enough (31%).

Republicans in states with a higher number of confirmed COVID-19 cases are less likely than
Republicans in states with fewer cases to say people across the country are overreacting to the

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PEW RESEARCH CENTER

outbreak (33% vs. 42%). Still, Republicans living in the hardest-hit states remain more likely than
even Democrats in the least hard-hit states to say the public is overreacting to the outbreak.

Across both parties, those who are paying the most attention to news about the outbreak are the
least likely to say that people and institutions are overreacting to the coronavirus outbreak.

Republicans and Democrats back measures aimed at ‘flattening the curve’

In thinking about specific steps
that have been announced to
address the coronavirus
outbreak, majorities of
Republicans and Democrats
Large majorities say that restrictions on travel,
closures of businesses have been necessary
% who say each of the following has been a necessary step to address the
coronavirus outbreak

view a range of measures as

necessary to stem the spread of
the virus.

For instance, overwhelming

majorities of both Republicans
(96%) and Democrats (94%)
say restricting international
travel to the U.S. is necessary.

Most also say it is necessary to

cancel major sports and
entertainment events, close K-
12 schools, avoid gathering in
large groups and limit
restaurants to carry-out only.
Note: No answer responses not shown.
In all four cases, somewhat Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted March 19-24, 2020.
larger majorities of Democrats PEW RESEARCH CENTER

than Republicans view each

action as necessary.

There also is majority support for requiring most businesses other than grocery stores and
pharmacies to close and for postponing upcoming state primary elections. However, among both
Republicans and Democrats there is slightly lower support for these two measures than for other
steps to confront the outbreak.

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Acknowledgments
This report is a collaborative effort based on the input and analysis of the following individuals:

Research team Communications and editorial

Carroll Doherty, Director, Political Research
Jocelyn Kiley, Associate Director, Political Research
Alec Tyson, Senior Researcher
Andrew Daniller, Research Associate
Bradley Jones, Research Associate
Hannah Hartig, Research Associate
Claire Gecewicz, Research Associate
Amina Dunn, Research Assistant
Hannah Gilberstadt, Research Assistant
Ted Van Green, Research Assistant
Questionnaire team
Nida Asheer, Communications Associate
David Kent, Copy Editor
Graphic design and web publishing
Alissa Scheller, Information Graphics
Designer
Sara Atske, Associate Digital Producer
Methodology
Nick Bertoni, Panel Manager
Josh Ferno, Assistant Panel Manager
Arnold Lau, Research Analyst

Claudia Deane, Vice President of Research

Cary Funk, Director of Science Research
Scott Keeter, Senior Survey Advisor
Jocelyn Kiley, Associate Director, Political Research
J. Baxter Oliphant, Senior Researcher

Others at Pew Research Center also gave valuable feedback and assistance on this project,
including Director of Social Trends Research Kim Parker, Director of Internet and Technology
Research Lee Rainie, Associate Director of Internet and Technology Research Monica Anderson,
Associate Director of Religion Research Greg Smith, Senior Researcher Ruth Igielnik, Research
Associate Brooke Auxier, Research Analyst Andrew Perrin, and Research Assistant Luis Noe-
Bustamante.

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Methodology
The American Trends Panel survey methodology
The American Trends Panel (ATP), created by Pew Research Center, is a nationally representative
panel of randomly selected U.S. adults. Panelists participate via self-administered web surveys.
Panelists who do not have internet access at home are provided with a tablet and wireless internet
connection. The panel is being managed by Ipsos.

Data in this report is drawn from the panel wave conducted March 19 to March 24, 2020. A total
of 11,537 panelists responded out of 15,433 who were sampled, for a response rate of 75%. This
does not include five panelists
who were removed from the American Trends Panel recruitment surveys
data due to extremely high Active
panelists
rates of refusal or Recruitment dates Mode Invited Joined remaining
straightlining. The cumulative Landline/
Jan. 23 to March 16, 2014 cell RDD 9,809 5,338 2,311
response rate accounting for Landline/
Aug. 27 to Oct. 4, 2015 cell RDD 6,004 2,976 1,335
nonresponse to the
Landline/
recruitment surveys and April 25 to June 4, 2017 cell RDD 3,905 1,628 685
attrition is 4.1%. The break-off Aug. 8 to Oct. 31, 2018 ABS/web 9,396 8,778 6,412
rate among panelists who Aug. 19 to Nov. 30, 2019 ABS/web 5,900 4,720 4,690
Total 35,014 23,440 15,433
logged on to the survey and
completed at least one item is Note: Approximately once per year, panelists who have not participated in multiple
consecutive waves or who did not complete an annual profiling survey are removed from the
2%. The margin of sampling panel. Panelists also become inactive if they ask to be removed from the panel.
error for the full sample of PEW RESEARCH CENTER
11,537 respondents is plus or
minus 1.5 percentage points.

The ATP was created in 2014, with the first cohort of panelists invited to join the panel at the end
of a large, national, landline and cellphone random-digit-dial survey that was conducted in both
English and Spanish. Two additional recruitments were conducted using the same method in 2015
and 2017, respectively. Across these three surveys, a total of 19,718 adults were invited to join the
ATP, of which 9,942 agreed to participate.

In August 2018, the ATP switched from telephone to address-based recruitment. Invitations were
sent to a random, address-based sample (ABS) of households selected from the U.S. Postal
Service’s Delivery Sequence File. In each household, the adult with the next birthday was asked to
go online to complete a survey, at the end of which they were invited to join the panel. For a

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random half-sample of invitations, households without internet access were instructed to return a
postcard. These households were contacted by telephone and sent a tablet if they agreed to
participate. A total of 9,396 were invited to join the panel, and 8,778 agreed to join the panel and
completed an initial profile survey. The same recruitment procedure was carried out on August 19,
2019, from which a total of 5,900 were invited to join the panel and 4,720 agreed to join the panel
and completed an initial profile survey. Of the 23,440 individuals who have ever joined the ATP,
15,433 remained active panelists and continued to receive survey invitations at the time this survey
was conducted.

The U.S. Postal Service’s Delivery Sequence File has been estimated to cover as much as 98% of
the population, although some studies suggest that the coverage could be in the low 90% range. 1

1 AAPOR Task Force on Address-based Sampling. 2016. “AAPOR Report: Address-based Sampling.”

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Weighting
The ATP data was weighted in a multistep process that begins with a
base weight incorporating the respondents’ original selection Weighting dimensions
probability. The next step in the weighting uses an iterative technique Variable Benchmark
source
that aligns the sample to population benchmarks on the dimensions Gender 2018 American
Community
listed in the accompanying table. Age Survey
Education
Sampling errors and test of statistical significance take into account the Race/Hispanic
origin
effect of weighting. Interviews are conducted in both English and Country of birth
among Hispanics
Spanish.
Home internet
access
Years lived in the
In addition to sampling error, one should bear in mind that question United States
wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce among Hispanics
Region x 2019 CPS March
error or bias into the findings of opinion polls. Metropolitan status Supplement
Volunteerism 2017 CPS
Volunteering &
Civic Life
Supplement
Voter registration 2018 CPS Voting
and Registration
Supplement
Party affiliation Average of the
three most recent
Pew Research
Center telephone
surveys.

Note: Estimates from the ACS are based on

non-institutionalized adults. Voter
registration is calculated using procedures
from Hur, Achen (2013) and rescaled to
include the total US adult population.
PEW RESEARCH CENTER

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The following table shows the unweighted sample sizes and the error attributable to sampling that
would be expected at the 95% level of confidence for different groups in the survey:

Survey of U.S. adults conducted March 19—24, 2020

Unweighted
Group sample size Weighted % Plus or minus …
Total sample 11,537 1.5 percentage points

COVID-19 state health impact to date:

High 3,138 29 2.7 percentage points
Medium 5,002 41 2.3 percentage points
Low 3,397 31 2.6 percentage points

Rep/Lean Rep 4,738 44 2.2 percentage points

Dem/Lean Dem 6,474 52 2.0 percentage points

Sample sizes and sampling errors for other subgroups are available upon request.

© Pew Research Center, 2020

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Appendix
Categorization of COVID-19 state health impact in this report
This report uses a measure of
state-level impact of COVID-19. Categorization of COVID-19 state impact
States and the District of States where COVID-19 has a had a ___ impact on state health
Columbia are categorized as (as of March 22)

having experienced a high, High Medium Low

medium or low impact based California Colorado Alabama

on a combination of the total District of Columbia Connecticut Alaska

Illinois Florida Arkansas
number and the per-capita
Louisiana Georgia Arizona
number of people who have
Michigan Maine Delaware
tested positive for the novel
New Jersey Massachusetts Hawaii
coronavirus (as of March 22). New York Mississippi Idaho
Washington Nevada Indiana
States were classified as “high” Ohio Iowa
if they had either 1,000 or Pennsylvania Kansas
more total cases or they had Rhode Island Kentucky

more than 100 cases per Tennessee Maryland

Texas Minnesota
million residents as of March
Vermont Missouri
22. “Low” states had both fewer
Wisconsin Montana
than 60 cases per million
Nebraska
residents and less than 300 New Hampshire
cases overall. The remaining New Mexico
states were classified as North Carolina
“medium” impact. North Dakota
Oklahoma

Data for positive cases of Oregon

South Carolina
COVID-19 by state were taken
South Dakota
from The COVID Tracking
Utah
Project (downloaded on March
Virginia
23). West Virginia
Wyoming
PEW RESEARCH CENTER

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Defining income tiers

To create upper-, middle- and lower-income tiers, respondents’ 2018 family incomes were
adjusted for differences in purchasing power by geographic region and for household size.
“Middle-income” adults live in families with annual incomes that are two-thirds to double the
median family income in our sample (after incomes have been adjusted for the local cost of living
and for household size). The middle-income range for this analysis is about $40,100 to $120,400
annually for a three-person household. Lower-income families have incomes less than roughly
$40,100, and upper-income families have incomes greater than roughly $120,400.

Based on these adjustments, among respondents who provided their income, 33% are lower
income, 45% are middle income and 22% fall into the upper-income tier.

For more information about how the income tiers were determined, please see here.

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FOR RELEASE MARCH 30, 2020

Most Americans Say

Coronavirus Outbreak
Has Impacted Their
Lives
More than half have prayed for an end to the virus’s spread

FOR MEDIA OR OTHER INQUIRIES:

Juliana Horowitz, Associate Director, Research

Ruth Igielnik, Senior Researcher
Tanya Arditi, Communications Manager

202.419.4372

www.pewresearch.org

RECOMMENDED CITATION
Pew Research Center, March, 2020, “Most
Americans Say Coronavirus Outbreak Has Impacted
Their Lives”
 2
PEW RESEARCH CENTER

About Pew Research Center

Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes
and trends shaping America and the world. It does not take policy positions. It conducts public
opinion polling, demographic research, content analysis and other data-driven social science
research. The Center studies U.S. politics and policy; journalism and media; internet, science and
technology; religion and public life; Hispanic trends; global attitudes and trends; and U.S. social
and demographic trends. All of the Center’s reports are available at www.pewresearch.org. Pew
Research Center is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts, its primary funder.

© Pew Research Center 2020

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How we did this

Pew Research Center conducted this study to understand how Americans are continuing to
respond to the coronavirus outbreak. For this analysis, we surveyed 11,537 U.S. adults in March
2020. Everyone who took part is a member of Pew Research Center’s American Trends Panel
(ATP), an online survey panel that is recruited through national, random sampling of residential
addresses. This way nearly all U.S. adults have a chance of selection. The survey is weighted to be
representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation,
education and other categories. Read more about the ATP’s methodology.

Here are the questions used for the report, along with responses, and its methodology.

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Most Americans Say Coronavirus Outbreak

Has Impacted Their Lives
More than half have prayed for an end to the virus’s spread
As the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases continues to rise and schools, workplaces and public
gathering spaces across the United States remain closed, a new Pew Research Center survey finds
that the coronavirus outbreak is having profound impacts on the personal lives of Americans in a
variety of ways. Nearly nine-in-ten U.S. adults say their life has changed at least a little as a result
of the COVID-19 outbreak, including 44% who say their life has changed in a major way.

Amid widespread calls from experts for

Amid coronavirus outbreak, most
Americans to socially distance from one
Americans uncomfortable going to a
another to avoid spreading the virus, what
party, restaurant or polling place
recently seemed like mundane daily activities
% saying that, given the current situation with the
now elicit concerns from large swaths of the coronavirus outbreak, they would feel uncomfortable
population. About nine-in-ten U.S. adults (91%) doing each of the following
say that, given the current situation, they would
Attending a crowded party 91
feel uncomfortable attending a crowded party.
Roughly three-quarters (77%) would not want
Eating out in a restaurant 77
to eat out at a restaurant. In the midst of a
presidential election year, about two-thirds Going to a polling place to vote 66
(66%) say they wouldn’t feel comfortable going
to a polling place to vote. And smaller but still Going out to the grocery store 42
substantial shares express discomfort even with
Visiting with a close friend 38
going to the grocery store (42%) or visiting with or family member at their home
a close friend or family member in their home Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted March 19-24, 2020.
“Most Americans Say Coronavirus Outbreak Has Impacted Their
(38%).
Lives”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
How are people adapting their behavior in light
of the outbreak? Four-in-ten working-age
adults ages 18 to 64 report having worked from home because of coronavirus concerns – a figure
that rises to a majority among working-age adults with college degrees and upper-income earners.
Still, despite current circumstances, about two-thirds of adults with children under 12 at home say
it’s been at least somewhat easy for them to handle child care responsibilities.

The virus also has impacted Americans’ religious behaviors. More than half of all U.S. adults (55%)
say they have prayed for an end to the spread of coronavirus. Large majorities of

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Americans who pray daily (86%) and of U.S.

Many Americans say they have changed
Christians (73%) have taken to prayer during
religious habits due to coronavirus
the outbreak – but so have some who say they outbreak
seldom or never pray and people who say they
% saying they have …
do not belong to any religion (15% and 24%,
respectively). Prayed for an end to
the spread of 55
coronavirus
Among U.S. adults who said in an earlier survey Among those who said in a 2019 survey they attend
religious services at least once or twice a month, %
they attend religious services at least once or saying they have ___ as a result of the coronavirus
twice a month, most (59%) now say they have outbreak
Attended religious
scaled back their attendance because of the services in person less 59
coronavirus – in many cases, presumably often
because churches and other houses of worship Watched religious
services online or on 57
have canceled services. But this does not mean TV instead of in person
they have disengaged from collective worship Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted March 19-24, 2020.
entirely: A similar share (57%) reports having “Most Americans Say Coronavirus Outbreak Has Impacted Their
Lives”
watched religious services online or on TV PEW RESEARCH CENTER
instead of attending in person. Together, four-
in-ten regular worshippers appear to have
replaced in-person attendance with virtual worship (saying that they have been attending less
often but watching online instead).

These are among the findings of a Pew Research Center survey of 11,537 U.S. adults conducted
March 19-24, 2020, using the Center’s American Trends Panel. 1 Other key findings from the
survey include:

§ Republicans are more likely than Democrats to say they feel comfortable proceeding with a
variety of activities despite the coronavirus outbreak. For example, 68% of Republicans and
people who lean toward the GOP say they would be comfortable visiting with a close friend or
family member at their home, compared with 55% of Democrats and Democratic leaners.
Along these same lines, Democrats are more likely than Republicans to say their lives have
changed in a major way as a result of the virus, and that they have been feeling psychological
distress.

§ Compared with older Americans, young adults are more likely to say they are comfortable
going to a crowded party, a restaurant or a small gathering with close family or friends. Still,

1 For more details, see the Methodology section of the report.

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most adults under 30 say they are uncomfortable eating out at a restaurant (73%) or going to a
crowded party (87%). Young adults are more likely than their elders to say they have used a
food delivery service due to the outbreak.

§ Concerns about public activities and changes to personal lives have been felt more acutely in
states with higher numbers of COVID-19 cases. For instance, 51% of those living in highly
impacted states say their lives have changed in a major way, compared with 40% of those in
states with the lowest numbers of cases.

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Most Americans say their personal life has been affected by the
coronavirus outbreak
Nearly nine-in-ten U.S. adults say their
More than four-in-ten Americans say
personal life has changed at least a little bit as a
their lives have changed in a major way
result of the coronavirus outbreak, with 44%
% saying that, as a result of the coronavirus outbreak,
saying their life has changed in a major way. their personal life has …
Just 12% say their life has stayed about the
Changed Changed, Stayed
same as it was before the outbreak. in a major but only a about the
way little bit same
All adults 44 44 12
Women (47%) are more likely than men (41%)
Men 41 46 12
to say their personal life has changed in a major Women 47 41 11
way as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. White 45 45 10
And while more than four-in-ten white (45%) Black 34 43 22
Hispanic 47 43 10
and Hispanic (47%) adults say this has changed
Ages 18-29 43 45 12
their lives significantly, about a third of black 30-49 46 43 10
adults (34%) say the same. 50-64 42 42 16
65+ 45 45 9
Postgrad 61 34 5
Income and education are also linked to
Bachelor's degree 54 40 5
assessments of the personal impact of the Some college 43 45 12
coronavirus outbreak. More than half of those HS or less 35 48 16
with higher incomes (54%) say this has changed Upper income 54 39 6
Middle income 44 45 10
their life in a major way, compared with 44% of
Lower income 39 44 16
those with middle incomes and 39% of those
COVID-19 state health impact to date
with lower incomes.2 High 51 39 9
Medium 43 44 12
Low 40 47 13
Similarly, 61% of those with postgraduate
degrees, and a narrower majority of those with Note: Share of respondents who didn’t offer an answer not shown.
Whites and blacks include those who report being only one race and
bachelor’s degrees (54%), say the coronavirus are non-Hispanic. Hispanics are of any race. “Some college” includes
outbreak has changed their life in a major way. those with an associate degree and those who attended college but
did not obtain a degree. Family income tiers are based on adjusted
By comparison, 43% of those with some college 2018 earnings. COVID-19 state health impact is based on per-capita
and about a third of those with a high school cases and/or total number of cases. See Appendix for details.
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted March 19-24, 2020.
diploma or less education (35%) say this has “Most Americans Say Coronavirus Outbreak Has Impacted Their
Lives”
happened to them. Across income groups, those
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
with at least a bachelor’s degree are more likely

2 Family incomes are based on 2018 earnings and adjusted for differences in purchasing power by geographic region and for household sizes.
Middle income is defined here as two-thirds to double the median annual income for all panelists. Lower income falls below that range; upper
income falls above it.

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than those with less education to say the coronavirus outbreak has changed their life in a major
way.

Across age groups, similar shares say the coronavirus outbreak has had a major impact on their
personal life. For example, 43% of adults younger than 30 say the outbreak has changed their life
in a major way, as do 45% of those ages 65 and older.

Not surprisingly, those in states with a high number of coronavirus cases are more likely than
those in states that haven’t been as affected to say their personal life has changed in a major way
because of the outbreak. About half of those
who live in states with a high number of cases Democrats are more likely than
(51%) say their life has changed in a major way, Republicans to say their lives have
compared with 43% of those in states with a changed in a major way
medium number of cases and 40% of those in % saying that, as a result of the coronavirus outbreak,
states with a low number of cases. 3 their personal life has …

Changed Changed, Stayed

in a major but only a about the
Among the 33% of Americans who say they or way little bit same
someone in their household has either lost a job
All adults 44 44 12
or took a pay cut because of the coronavirus
Rep/Lean Rep 38 49 13
outbreak, 54% say their personal life has
Dem/Lean Dem 51 39 10
changed in a major way as a result of the
COVID-19 state health impact to date ...
outbreak. This compares with 39% of those who Among Republicans and Republican leaners
say they have not experienced either of these
High 42 47 10
situations.
Medium 37 49 13
Low 36 49 14
About half of Democrats say their life has
Among Democrats and Democratic leaners
changed in a major way because of the High 57 35 8
coronavirus Medium 50 38 12
Democrats are more likely than Republicans to Low 45 44 11
say their personal life has changed in a major
Note: Share of respondents who didn’t offer an answer not shown.
way as a result of the coronavirus outbreak: COVID-19 state health impact is based on per-capita cases and/or
total number of cases. See Appendix for details.
About half of Democrats and Democratic
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted March 19-24, 2020.
leaners (51%) say this, compared with 38% of “Most Americans Say Coronavirus Outbreak Has Impacted Their
Lives”
Republicans and those who lean to the GOP.
PEW RESEARCH CENTER

3 COVID-19 state health impact is based on per-capita cases and/or total number of cases. See Appendix for details.

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These partisan differences remain even after accounting for the fact that Democrats are more
likely than Republicans to live in states with a high number of confirmed cases of COVID-19.
About a third of Democrats (34%) live in these states, compared with 22% of Republicans. More
than half of Democrats in states with a high number of cases (57%) say their life has changed in a
major way, compared with 42% of Republicans in states with a high number of cases. Similarly, in
states with a medium or low number of cases, Democrats are more likely than their Republican
counterparts to say the coronavirus outbreak has impacted their life in a major way.

More than three-quarters of Americans say they are not comfortable

eating out in a restaurant given the current situation with coronavirus
About six-in-ten Americans say they would feel
comfortable visiting with close friends and More Americans feel comfortable
family members at their home (62%) and going visiting a close friend, family member
to the grocery store (57%), given the current than going to restaurants, parties
coronavirus outbreak. Roughly four-in-ten say % saying that, given the current situation with the
coronavirus outbreak, they would feel ____ doing each
they would not be comfortable doing these
of the following
things (38% and 42%, respectively). Far fewer
express comfort in going to a polling place to Uncomfortable Comfortable
Visiting with a close
vote (33%) or eating out in a restaurant (22%), friend or family
38 62
member at their home
and only about one-in-ten (9%) say they would
Going to the grocery store 42 57
feel comfortable attending a crowded party.
Going out to a
66 33
polling place to vote
There are some notable demographic
differences in what Americans are comfortable Eating out in a restaurant 77 22

doing during the current outbreak. In Attending a crowded party 91 9

particular, younger adults are more likely than
Note: Share of respondents who did not offer an answer not shown.
older Americans to express comfort with Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted March 19-24, 2020.
“Most Americans Say Coronavirus Outbreak Has Impacted Their
leaving their homes for various reasons. Across
Lives”
all age groups, majorities of Americans say they PEW RESEARCH CENTER
are uncomfortable eating out in a restaurant;
still, about one-quarter of young adults ages 18
to 29 (27%) say they would be comfortable doing this, compared with just 16% of Americans 65
and older. Younger Americans are also more likely to feel comfortable visiting with family and
friends: 68% of adults younger than 30 say they’d be comfortable doing this, compared with 60%
of Americans ages 30 to 49, 64% of adults ages 50 to 64 and 56% of those 65 and older.

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Republicans are more likely than Democrats to feel comfortable visiting with a friend,
going grocery shopping
Across a variety of measures, Republicans are
more likely than Democrats to say they are Among Republicans in states with low
comfortable continuing with regular activities. numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases,
Republicans are significantly more likely than 74% say they are comfortable visiting
Democrats to say they are comfortable going to with close family and friends
a grocery store and visiting friends and are far % saying that, given the current situation with the
coronavirus outbreak, they would feel ____ visiting
more likely than Democrats to say they are with a close friend or family member at their home
comfortable eating in a restaurant.
Uncomfortable Comfortable
All adults 38 62
Roughly seven-in-ten Republicans (68%) say Rep/Lean Rep 32 68
they are comfortable visiting with a close friend Dem/Lean Rep 45 55
or family member at their home, while 32% say COVID-19 state health impact to date ...
they would be uncomfortable. Democrats are Among Republicans and Republican leaners
High 35 65
more divided: 55% say they would be
Medium 33 67
comfortable doing this while 45% say they
Low 26 74
would not be comfortable.
Among Democrats and Democratic leaners
High 50 50
When it comes to Americans’ comfort with Medium 44 56
visiting with those close to them, partisan Low 40 60
differences remain even after accounting for the Notes: Share of respondents who did not offer an answer not
fact that Democrats are more likely than shown. COVID-19 state health impact is based on per-capita cases
and/or total number of cases. See Appendix for details.
Republicans to live in states with a high number Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted March 19-24, 2020.
of confirmed cases of COVID-19. About two- “Most Americans Say Coronavirus Outbreak Has Impacted Their
Lives”
thirds of Republicans in states with a high PEW RESEARCH CENTER
number of cases (65%) say they would be
comfortable visiting with close family and
friends, compared with 50% of Democrats in these states. Similarly, in states with a medium or
low number of cases, Republicans are more likely than their Democratic counterparts to say they
are comfortable visiting with family and friends.

Overall, Americans living in suburban and rural areas are more likely than those living in urban
communities to feel comfortable visiting with close friends and relatives. However, Americans
living in urban areas are divided depending on how many confirmed cases of COVID-19 are in
their state. Those living in urban areas in states with a high number of cases are the least likely to
feel comfortable visiting with others (47%) while urban dwellers in states with a medium (56%) or

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low (67%) number of cases are more likely to feel comfortable going out to visit friends. These
differences are not as stark in suburban areas, and there is no difference in comfort with visiting
others among Americans in rural communities, regardless of the number of cases in the state.

About one-in-five adults say they have used a food delivery service
because of the coronavirus outbreak
Amid recommendations for social distancing to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, about one-
in-five adults (21%) say they have used a food delivery service
instead of going to a restaurant or grocery store as a result of the
Younger adults more
coronavirus outbreak.
likely to have used a food
delivery service because
Adults younger than 30 are particularly likely to say they have of coronavirus outbreak
used a food delivery service because of the coronavirus outbreak:
% saying they have used a food
Three-in-ten in this group say they have done this. A quarter of delivery service instead of going to
adults ages 30 to 49 also say they have used a food delivery a restaurant or grocery store as a
result of the coronavirus outbreak
service because of the coronavirus outbreak, while smaller shares
of those ages 50 to 64 (15%) and those 65 and older (14%) say All adults 21
the same.
Men 19

Hispanic adults (26%) are more likely than white (19%) and Women 23
black (20%) adults to have used a food delivery service instead of
White 19
going to a restaurant or grocery store as a result of the
coronavirus outbreak. And while about a quarter of women Black 20
(23%) say they have done this, about one-in-five men (19%) say Hispanic 26
the same. There are no notable differences by educational
Ages 18-29 30
attainment, income, or whether people live in states with a high,
medium or low number of coronavirus cases. 30-49 25

50-64 15

65+ 14

Note: Whites and blacks include those who

report being only one race and are non-
Hispanic. Hispanics are of any race.
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted
March 19-24, 2020.
“Most Americans Say Coronavirus Outbreak
Has Impacted Their Lives”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER

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Most working-age adults with at least a bachelor’s degree have worked

from home as a result of the coronavirus outbreak
Four-in-ten working-age adults – those ages 18 to 64 – say they
have worked from home as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.4 Four-in-ten working-age
Men and women in this age group are about equally likely to say adults have worked from
they have worked from home. home because of
coronavirus outbreak
About three-quarters of working-age adults with a postgraduate % of working-age adults saying
they have worked from home as a
degree (73%) say they have worked from home as a result of the
result of the coronavirus outbreak
coronavirus outbreak, as do 62% of those with a bachelor’s
degree. Far smaller shares of working-age adults with some All adults 40
college (35%) or with a high school diploma or less education Men 40
(22%) say they have worked from home. Women 40
Postgrad 73
Similarly, working-age adults with higher incomes are more Bachelor's degree 62
likely than those with lower incomes to say they have worked
Some college 35
from home because of the coronavirus outbreak: 61% of those in
HS or less 22
the upper-income tier say they have done this, compared with
Upper income 61
41% in the middle-income tier and an even smaller share (27%)
Middle income 41
of those with lower incomes.
Lower income 27
COVID-19 state health impact to date
In states with a high number of coronavirus cases, 45% of
High 45
working-age adults say they have worked from home because of
Medium 38
the outbreak; smaller shares in states with a medium or low
Low 38
number of cases say the same (38% each).
Note: “Working age” is defined as adults
ages 18 to 64. “Some college” includes
those with an associate degree and those
who attended college but did not obtain a
degree. Family income tiers are based on
adjusted 2018 earnings. COVID-19 state
health impact is based on per-capita cases
and/or total number of cases. See
Appendix for details.
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted
March 19-24, 2020.
“Most Americans Say Coronavirus Outbreak
Has Impacted Their Lives”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER

4 This analysis includes all working-age adults ages 18 to 64, including some who may not be employed.

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Most adults with young children at home say it has been easy for them to
handle child care responsibilities
Even as many schools have closed because of
the coronavirus outbreak, 65% of adults with About a third of adults with young
children younger than 12 at home say it has children say handling child care
been at least somewhat easy for them to handle responsibilities has been difficult
child care responsibilities during this time, with % of adults with children younger than 12 living in their
household saying it has been ___ for them to handle
32% saying it has been very easy. About a third child care responsibilities during the coronavirus
(35%) say this has been very or somewhat outbreak
difficult for them. Very/Somewhat Very/Somewhat
difficult easy
All w/children <12
Similar shares of men (68%) and women (63%) in household 35 65
with young children at home say it has been Men 32 68
easy for them to handle child care Women 37 63
responsibilities during the coronavirus
White 28 71
outbreak (the difference between the shares of
Black 38 61
men and women saying this is not statistically
significant). Hispanic 40 60

Upper income 42 58
Black and Hispanic adults with children Middle income 30 70
younger than 12 at home are more likely than
Lower income 37 63
white adults with children in the same age
group to say handling child care responsibilities Note: Share of respondents who didn’t offer an answer not shown.
Whites and blacks include those who report being only one race and
has been difficult for them during the outbreak: are non-Hispanic. Hispanics are of any race. Family income tiers are
About four-in-ten black (38%) and Hispanic based on adjusted 2018 earnings. See Appendix for details.
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted March 19-24, 2020.
(40%) adults with young children say this, “Most Americans Say Coronavirus Outbreak Has Impacted Their
Lives”
compared with 28% of their white counterparts.
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Still, majorities of at least six-in-ten in each
group say it has been easy for them to handle
child care responsibilities during this time.

Majorities across income groups also say handling child care responsibilities has been at least
somewhat easy for them so far, but those with middle incomes are more likely than those with
upper or lower incomes to say this. Seven-in-ten middle-income adults with children younger than
12 at home say it’s been easy for them to handle child care responsibilities, compared with 58% of
those in the upper-income tier and 63% in the lower-income tier.

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Most U.S. Christians say

Many Americans are praying and staying away they have prayed for an end
from religious services in response to to virus
% saying they have prayed for an end
coronavirus
to the spread of the coronavirus
%
More than half of U.S. adults say they have prayed for an end
Total 55
to the spread of the coronavirus. Evangelical Protestants are
among the most likely to say they have prayed for an end to Christian 73
Protestant 76
the virus (82% say they’ve done so). A similar share of
Evangelical 82
adherents of the historically black Protestant tradition (79%)
Mainline 65
say they have done the same. Two-thirds of Catholics (68%)
Historically black Prot. 79
and mainline Protestants (65%) also say they have prayed for Catholic 68
an end to the outbreak. Jewish 35
Unaffiliated 24
Roughly one-third of Jews (35%) say they have prayed to end Atheist/agnostic 6
the virus. Religious “nones” – especially self-described Nothing in particular 36
atheists and agnostics – are less likely than those who identify Among those who pray …
with a religion to say they have prayed for an end to the Daily 86
outbreak, though 36% of those who describe their religion as Weekly 66
“nothing in particular” say they have prayed about the virus. Monthly 49
Seldom/never 15

Fully 86% of people who pray every day say they have prayed Men 44
specifically about the virus, as have two-thirds of those who Women 65
say they pray on a weekly basis. Half of those who say they White 53
pray a few times a month report having prayed about the Black 66
coronavirus, as have 15% of those who generally seldom or Hispanic 57
never pray. Ages 18-29 35
30-49 52
More women than men say they have prayed for an end to the 50-64 63
spread of the disease, and more black respondents than white 65+ 67
and Hispanic respondents say the same. Older people are Rep/Lean Rep 64
more likely than younger adults to say they have prayed for an Dem/Lean Dem 46
end to the virus, and more Republicans than Democrats have Note: Whites and blacks include those who
prayed about the outbreak. These patterns are consistent with report being only one race and are non-
Hispanic. Hispanics are of any race.
overall differences in the religiousness of these groups. Source: Survey conducted March 19-24, 2020.
“Most Americans Say Coronavirus Outbreak
Has Impacted Their Lives”
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The survey also shows that the outbreak has

changed the religious attendance habits of U.S. Virus has changed churchgoing habits
adults, at least for the time being. Among
of U.S. Christians, at least temporarily
Among those who said in a 2019 survey) they attend
people who said in a previous survey that they
religious services at least once or twice a month, % who
generally attend religious services at least once have ___ as a result of the coronavirus outbreak
or twice a month, 59% now say they have Watched
Attended religious
attended less often recently as a result of the religious services online
outbreak. And a similar share (57%) say they services in or on TV instead
person less of attending in
have watched religious services online or on TV often person
% %
instead of in-person.5
All who attend services
monthly or more often 59 57
Across Christian groups, half or more of those Christian 60 59
who typically attend church at least monthly Protestant 61 62
say they have been going less often because of Evangelical 62 65
the virus. Many of them – including two-thirds Mainline 66 54
Historically black Prot. 51 59
of evangelical Protestants – say they have tuned
Catholic 55 46
in to church services online or on television
Men 58 53
instead of attending in person.
Women 60 60

White 66 58
Women who attend worship services monthly
Black 50 58
or more often are a bit more likely than men Hispanic 42 56
who attend with the same frequency to say they Ages 18-29 55 58
have turned to the internet or television to 30-49 60 53
watch religious services (though no more likely 50-64 56 56
to say they have been attending less often in- 65+ 65 60

person). White church attenders are more likely Rep/Lean Rep 64 62

than blacks and Latinos to say they have Dem/Lean Dem 53 50

attended less often. Higher shares of
Republicans than Democrats say they have
stayed away from religious services and that
they have turned to virtual alternatives in
reaction to the outbreak.
Note: Based on those who said in a 2019 survey they attend
religious services at least once or twice per month. Whites and
blacks include those who report being only one race and are non-
Hispanic. Hispanics are of any race. The survey included too few
interviews with non-Christian respondents who attend religious
services regularly to permit analysis of their responses to these
questions.
Source: Survey conducted March 19-24, 2020.
“Most Americans Say Coronavirus Outbreak Has Impacted Their
Lives”
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5 The questions that ask respondents whether they have been attending religious services less often or watching them online or on TV instead

of attending in-person were asked of everyone. Among all respondents, 27% say they have attended religious services less often and 25%
(including 11% who generally attend religious services a few times a year or less) say they have watched them online or on TV in response to

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the outbreak. To facilitate interpretation of these data, the analyses reported here are based on those who said in a previous survey
(conducted in the summer and fall of 2019) that they generally attend religious services at least once or twice a month. Those who indicated
in the previous survey that they attend religious services a few times a year or less often may report low levels of having attended less often or
having watched online in response to the virus because they attended sporadically or not at all to begin with, not because they are
unconcerned by the virus. The survey included too few interviews with non-Christian respondents who attend religious services regularly to
permit analysis of their responses to these questions.

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Combining the two questions

suggests that four-in-ten In response to virus, four-in-ten U.S. Christian
Americans who typically
churchgoers appear to have replaced attending church
in person with virtual religious participation
attend religious services at
Among those who said in a 2019 survey they attend religious services at least
least monthly appear to have
once or twice a month, % who have ___ as a result of coronavirus outbreak
replaced their in-person Been Been Been Not changed
attendance with virtual attending attending watching (not watching
less in less in online or on virtually
religious participation; 40% person, now person, not TV, not because of
watching watching attending virus, not
say they have been attending online or on online or on less in attending less in
TV TV person person)
religious services less often
% % % %
and that they have been All who attend services
40 19 17 24
watching them online or on monthly or more often

television instead as a result of Christian 41 19 18 22

the outbreak. One-in-five Protestant 45 16 17 22
Evangelical 47 15 18 20
(19%) are attending less often
Mainline 43 23 12 22
but not replacing in-person Historically black Prot. 38 13 20 29
attendance with watching Catholic 30 25 16 28
services electronically, and Men 37 21 16 26
17% appear to be Women 43 18 18 22
supplementing their in-person White 45 21 13 21
attendance with virtual Black 35 14 22 28
participation (i.e., they say Hispanic 26 16 29 28

they are not attending less but Ages 18-29 42 13 16 29

that they are watching online 30-49 38 22 16 24
50-64 38 17 18 26
or on TV). One quarter of
65+ 44 21 17 19
those who typically attend
Rep/Lean Rep 47 17 15 21
religious services monthly say
Dem/Lean Dem 31 22 19 28
their attendance habits have
Note: Based on those who said in a 2019 survey they attend religious services at least once
not changed – they are not or twice per month. The share who refused to answer both questions (<1% overall) not
shown. Whites and blacks include those who report being only one race and are non-
attending less often, nor are
Hispanic. Hispanics are of any race. The survey included too few interviews with non-
they watching services online Christian respondents who attend religious services regularly to permit analysis of their
responses to these questions.
or on television. Source: Survey conducted March 19-24, 2020.
“Most Americans Say Coronavirus Outbreak Has Impacted Their Lives”
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Among those who typically
attend church at least
monthly, the share of Christians who indicate they have replaced in-person attendance with
watching church services online or on TV tops out at 47% among evangelical Protestants. White
people are more likely than black and Hispanic respondents to say they are now watching religious

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services online while attending less in person, while black and Hispanic people are more likely
than white respondents to say they are supplementing their in-person attendance with virtual
religious participation or that their attendance habits have not changed.

CORRECTION (April 1, 2020): Due to a rounding error, a previous version of this report gave an
incorrect percentage of Republicans and Republican leaners who say they would be comfortable
visiting with a close friend or family member at their home. It should have been 68%. Also,
a previous version of the first chart in the report had an incorrect percentage for the share of
Americans who would feel uncomfortable going out to the grocery store. It should have been
42%. These changes do not substantively affect the report’s findings.

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Acknowledgments
This report is a collaborative effort based on the input and analysis of the following individuals:

Research team Communications and editorial

Kim Parker, Director, Social Trends Research
Juliana Horowitz, Associate Director, Research
Ruth Igielnik, Senior Researcher
Gregory A. Smith, Associate Director, Research
Michael Lipka, Editorial Manager
Becka A. Alper, Research Associate
Jesse Bennett, Research Assistant
Deja Thomas, Research Assistant
Questionnaire team
Claudia Deane, Vice President, Research
Cary Funk, Director, Science and Society Research
Scott Keeter, Senior Survey Advisor
Jocelyn Kiley, Associate Director, Research
J. Baxter Oliphant, Senior Researcher
Tanya Arditi, Communications Manager
Anna Schiller, Communications Manager
David Kent, Copy Editor
Graphic design and web publishing
Michael Keegan, Senior Information Graphics
Designer
Travis Mitchell, Digital Producer
Methodology
Nick Bertoni, Panel Manager
Joshua Ferno, Assistant Panel Manager
Arnold Lau, Research Analyst

Others at Pew Research Center also gave valuable feedback and assistance on this project,
including Director of Political Research Carroll Doherty, Associate Director of Research Adam
Hughes, Research Associates Andrew Daniller, Bradley Jones, Hannah Hartig and Claire
Gecewicz, and Research Assistants Amina Dunn, Hannah Gilberstadt and Ted Van Green.

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Methodology
The American Trends Panel survey methodology
The American Trends Panel (ATP), created by Pew Research Center, is a nationally representative
panel of randomly selected U.S. adults. Panelists participate via self-administered web surveys.
Panelists who do not have internet access at home are provided with a tablet and wireless internet
connection. The panel is being managed by Ipsos.

Data in this report is drawn from the panel wave conducted March 19 to March 24, 2020. A total
of 11,537 panelists responded out of 15,433 who were sampled, for a response rate of 75%. This
does not include five panelists
who were removed from the American Trends Panel recruitment surveys
data due to extremely high Active
panelists
rates of refusal or Recruitment dates Mode Invited Joined remaining
straightlining. The cumulative Landline/
Jan. 23 to March 16, 2014 cell RDD 9,809 5,338 2,311
response rate accounting for Landline/
Aug. 27 to Oct. 4, 2015 cell RDD 6,004 2,976 1,335
nonresponse to the
Landline/
recruitment surveys and April 25 to June 4, 2017 cell RDD 3,905 1,628 685
attrition is 4.1%. The break-off Aug. 8 to Oct. 31, 2018 ABS/web 9,396 8,778 6,412
rate among panelists who Aug. 19 to Nov. 30, 2019 ABS/web 5,900 4,720 4,690
Total 35,014 23,440 15,433
logged on to the survey and
completed at least one item is Note: Approximately once per year, panelists who have not participated in multiple
consecutive waves or who did not complete an annual profiling survey are removed from the
2%. The margin of sampling panel. Panelists also become inactive if they ask to be removed from the panel.
error for the full sample of PEW RESEARCH CENTER

11,537 respondents is plus or

minus 1.5 percentage points.

The ATP was created in 2014, with the first cohort of panelists invited to join the panel at the end
of a large, national, landline and cellphone random-digit-dial survey that was conducted in both
English and Spanish. Two additional recruitments were conducted using the same method in 2015
and 2017, respectively. Across these three surveys, a total of 19,718 adults were invited to join the
ATP, of which 9,942 agreed to participate.

In August 2018, the ATP switched from telephone to address-based recruitment. Invitations were
sent to a random, address-based sample (ABS) of households selected from the U.S. Postal
Service’s Delivery Sequence File. In each household, the adult with the next birthday was asked to
go online to complete a survey, at the end of which they were invited to join the panel. For a

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random half-sample of invitations, households without internet access were instructed to return a
postcard. These households were contacted by telephone and sent a tablet if they agreed to
participate. A total of 9,396 were invited to join the panel, and 8,778 agreed to join the panel and
completed an initial profile survey. The same recruitment procedure was carried out on August 19,
2019, from which a total of 5,900 were invited to join the panel and 4,720 agreed to join the panel
and completed an initial profile survey. Of the 23,440 individuals who have ever joined the ATP,
15,433 remained active panelists and continued to receive survey invitations at the time this survey
was conducted.

The U.S. Postal Service’s Delivery Sequence File has been estimated to cover as much as 98% of
the population, although some studies suggest that the coverage could be in the low 90% range.6

6 AAPOR Task Force on Address-based Sampling. 2016. “AAPOR Report: Address-based Sampling.”

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Weighting
The ATP data was weighted in a multistep process that begins with a
base weight incorporating the respondents’ original selection Weighting dimensions
probability. The next step in the weighting uses an iterative technique Variable Benchmark
source
that aligns the sample to population benchmarks on the dimensions Gender 2018 American
Community
listed in the accompanying table. Age Survey
Education
Sampling errors and test of statistical significance take into account the Race/Hispanic
origin
effect of weighting. Interviews are conducted in both English and Country of birth
Spanish. among Hispanics
Home internet
access
Years lived in the
In addition to sampling error, one should bear in mind that question United States
wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce among Hispanics
Region x 2019 CPS March
error or bias into the findings of opinion polls. Metropolitan status Supplement
Volunteerism 2017 CPS
Volunteering &
Civic Life
Supplement
Voter registration 2018 CPS Voting
and Registration
Supplement
Party affiliation Average of the
three most recent
Pew Research
Center telephone
surveys.

Note: Estimates from the ACS are based on

non-institutionalized adults. Voter
registration is calculated using procedures
from Hur, Achen (2013) and rescaled to
include the total US adult population.
PEW RESEARCH CENTER

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The following table shows the unweighted sample sizes and the error attributable to sampling that
would be expected at the 95% level of confidence for different groups in the survey:

Survey of U.S. adults conducted March 19—24, 2020

Unweighted
Group sample size Weighted % Plus or minus …
Total sample 11,537 1.5 percentage points

COVID-19 state health impact to date:

High 3,138 29 2.7 percentage points
Medium 5,002 41 2.3 percentage points
Low 3,397 31 2.6 percentage points

Rep/Lean Rep 4,738 44 2.2 percentage points

Dem/Lean Dem 6,474 52 2.0 percentage points

Sample sizes and sampling errors for other subgroups are available upon request.

© Pew Research Center, 2020

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Appendix
Categorization of COVID-19 state health impact in this report
This report uses a measure of
state-level impact of COVID-19. Categorization of COVID-19 state impact
States and the District of States where COVID-19 has had a ___ impact on state health (as of
Columbia are categorized as March 22)

having experienced a high, High Medium Low

medium, or low impact based California Colorado Alabama

on a combination of the total Washington, D.C. Connecticut Alaska

Illinois Florida Arkansas
number and the per capita
Louisiana Georgia Arizona
number of people who have
Michigan Maine Delaware
tested positive for the novel
New Jersey Massachusetts Hawaii
coronavirus (as of March 22). New York Mississippi Idaho
Washington Nevada Indiana
States were classified as “high” Ohio Iowa
if they had either 1,000 or Pennsylvania Kansas
more total cases or they had Rhode Island Kentucky

more than 100 cases per Tennessee Maryland

Texas Minnesota
million residents as of March
Vermont Missouri
22. “Low” states had both fewer
Wisconsin Montana
than 60 cases per million
Nebraska
residents and fewer than 300 New Hampshire
cases overall. The remaining New Mexico
states were classified as North Carolina
“medium” impact. North Dakota
Oklahoma

Data for positive cases of Oregon

South Carolina
COVID-19 by state were taken
South Dakota
from The COVID Tracking
Utah
Project (downloaded on March
Virginia
23). West Virginia
Wyoming
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Defining income tiers

To create upper-, middle- and lower-income tiers, respondents’ 2018 family incomes were
adjusted for differences in purchasing power by geographic region and for household size.
“Middle-income” adults live in families with annual incomes that are two-thirds to double the
median family income in our sample (after incomes have been adjusted for the local cost of living
and for household size). The middle-income range for this analysis is about $40,100 to $120,400
annually for a three-person household. Lower-income families have incomes less than roughly
$40,100, and upper-income families have incomes greater than roughly $120,400.

Based on these adjustments, among respondents who provided their income, 33% are lower
income, 45% are middle income and 22% fall into the upper-income tier.

For more information about how the income tiers were determined, please see here.

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