Americans Split on Whether the Pandemic is Significantly Impacting Their Lives

April 14, 2022
Bryan Bennett

A majority of Americans also support sharing extra vaccine doses with the rest of the world to prevent future variants.

Key takeaways
  • Most Americans are optimistic the worst of the pandemic is over, but split evenly on whether it is impacting their lives in significant ways.
  • Sarah Palin’s national favorability ratings are net underwater following her announcement that she is running for Congress.
  • A quarter of Americans participated in April Fools Day this year, including majorities of OANN and Newsmax viewers.

Most Americans Continue to Be Optimistic the Worst of the Pandemic is Over

Republicans (64%) are most likely to say the “worst is over,” followed by Democrats (46%). Independents are split – 39% believe the worst is over, 30% say the worst is yet to come, and 31% are not sure.

Americans Are Now Split on Whether the Pandemic is Over for Them or Not

Nearly half of Americans say the pandemic is “completely” or “mostly over” for them personally, up 8 points from November 2021.

  • More than three in five Republicans (63%) say it is over for them, while fewer than two in five independents (37%) agree.

Americans Are Optimistic About the Ability of the U.S. to Handle Future Surges of Coronavirus and Future Pandemics

Majorities of Americans think the U.S. is prepared to handle both situations, though only a narrow majority of independents (51%) believe the U.S. is prepared for a future pandemic.

Majorities Believe the United States Should Share Vaccine Doses with the World

Majorities of independents (51%) and Democrats (64%) believe the United States should share its vaccine doses with the rest of the world. A plurality of Republicans think America should focus on maintaining its own supply (42%).

Sarah Palin’s Ratings Are Underwater Nationwide as She Announces Her Congressional Bid

Palin retains high name identification 14 years after her bid for vice president, as only 20% of Americans report having no opinion of her – yet, even among Republicans, just 56% have a favorable view of Palin compared to 29% who view her unfavorably.

Younger Americans, OANN & Newsmax Viewers, Union Members, and Dads Most Likely to Participate in April Fools’

Majorities of regular Newsmax viewers (52%) and OANN viewers (51%) participated in April Fools’ Day this year.

Share

About The Study

This release features findings from national online surveys of 998 registered voters conducted March 31 - April 4, 2022. Additional interviews were conducted among 100 Hispanic voters, 100 African American voters, 100 independents without a partisan lean, and 74 Asian American and Pacific Islander voters.

Related Posts

READ MORE

Americans are Concerned by AI, But Still Use It

This Navigator Research report covers survey and qualitative data on how Americans feel about artificial intelligence (AI) and how they’re using it, if at all.

Julie Alderman Boudreau
August 11, 2026

Americans Are Divided Within Party Lines Too

This Navigator Research Report covers how Americans identify with and feel about political parties and labels.

Avery Smedley & Tina Tang
August 05, 2026

Trust in the Process, Split on the Problems: Views on Voting and Election Integrity

This Navigator Research report covers voting and election integrity.

Melissa Toufanian
July 29, 2026

Sticker Shock: Rising Gas Prices and Billions Spent on War Are Turning Americans Against Trump

This Navigator Research report covers perceptions of the war with Iran, foreign policy, and President Trump.

Melissa Toufanian & Talya Hamberg