New Zogby Strategies Poll: Major Disconnect Between Media and Public on COVID Threat; Most Believe Employer Mandates Abuse Civil Rights


Washington, DC, Aug. 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A new poll of 1,000 US adults, conducted by Zogby Strategies in conjunction with Children’s Health Defense (CHD), reveals that 64% say they are not likely to contract COVID today vs. 28% who believe they are likely. The poll results come in after several weeks of media coverage on the Delta and Lambda variants.

Age is revealing; 59% of 18-29-year-olds report they are not likely to contract COVID (32% who say they are). On the other end of the spectrum, those older than 65 years show 79% who believe they are not likely to get COVID, while just 17% believe they are likely.

Furthermore, the poll asked respondents what their likelihood of surviving COVID would be if contracted today. Overall, 76% believe they would likely survive, 15% report not likely, leaving 9% unsure. A vast majority of 18-29-year-olds and 65+ say they would survive COVID if contracted (79% and 68%, respectively) amidst the wave of COVID variants.

A question on whether or not participants have heard about COVID treatments such as Hydroxychloroquine and Ivermectin reveals a majority (54%) have, while 35% have not.

When asked if they knew an effective treatment was given when COVID symptoms first appear, which would they prefer – a COVID booster or the therapy – the public is split with 38% selecting the COVID booster and 37% opting for the therapy.

On employer mandates, a plurality (48%) say employers (both government and private) are justified in mandating the COVID vaccine to their employees, whereas 40% believe employers should offer exemptions and accommodation to unvaccinated employees.

Finally, the survey asked participants if they agree that employers mandating the COVID vaccine to all employees is an abuse of Civil Rights. A plurality of 44% agrees it is a violation vs. 43% that disagree.

“People should never be forced or coerced into undergoing a medical treatment against their wishes,” said CHD Executive Director Laura Bono. “Whether it’s a business, a government, or a school, no entity has the right to make medical decisions for citizens. Despite all the media attention on COVID variants, this survey reveals most Americans are not afraid of contracting a disease that according to CDC data, 99.98% of people survive. If anything, it reveals a major disconnect between the media coverage and the public’s perception of the threat.”

The new John Zogby Strategies Poll has an overall margin-of-sampling error of +/- 3.2 percentage points. Sampling error margins are higher for sub-groups.  Click here for full data set.

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Children's Health Defense is devoted to the health of people and our planet. Our mission is to end the childhood health epidemics by working aggressively to eliminate harmful exposures, hold those responsible accountable, and establish safeguards to prevent future harm.

 

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