New data suggests many Americans hold misinformation about the virus. It signals their mistrust in institutions as citizens are being asked to rely on government, health and other leaders amid the outbreak.
Nearly one-third of Americans believe a vaccine already exists to prevent coronavirus infection but is being withheld from the public, while nearly half believe the COVID-19 virus was created in a lab.
"To see about a third of people give that some level of, 'Yeah, that might be true,' that was pretty shocking to me," said Robert Griffin, research director for the Democracy Fund Voter Study Group."That's a pretty dark type of thought to be floating around the public. There's an undercurrent of a lack of trust in society, a lack of trust in elites."
"There's a variety of battlegrounds in a public health crisis like this," Griffin said, pointing to on-the-ground logistics and unexpected problems that arise."But another one is just how to convince people of the truth about a variety of things."No vaccines or treatments are approved for COVID-19.who got shots in the first trial of a possible coronavirus vaccine are now getting the second shot – an indicator the early trial is progressing well.
Forty-eight percent of Americans said the U.S. is"concealing" the number of coronavirus deaths – a sentiment that's more prevalent among Democrats. More than half of Democrats, 55%, said it's probably or definitely true that the number of deaths is being concealed while 38% of Republicans said it is likely so.
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