Americans eye summer for start of next new normal
What are Americans most looking forward to? Not having to wear a mask in public, of course.
More than one in five Americans think life will get back to normal by the summer, according to a survey by HealthCareInsider, but almost the same percentage think life as we knew it before the pandemic won’t come back until 2022 or later. Eighteen percent hope that things will be normal again by fall, and 13% say life will never be the same again.
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The study found significant racial differences in fears over another pandemic. Only 56% of white respondents said they were worried about such an event, but 70% of Hispanic respondents and 64% of Black respondents expressed concerns.
But what is normal? The biggest indication of normality is not wearing a mask in public. Over a quarter of respondents said this was the thing they most looked forward to, although 23% said they don’t expect they’ll feel comfortable doing so until 2022 or later.
Family gatherings are another important aspect of normal life, with 18% of respondents saying this was something they craved. Respondents are already much more comfortable gathering, as 19% said they’ll be ready to do so by summer.
Permanent pandemic changes
The survey asked respondents about life changes caused by the pandemic that are likely to persist even after things go back to relative normality. The top response was working from home. Over a quarter of respondents said this would likely be a permanent change, but the report noted that outlook depends on income. More than a third of respondents who earn $80,000 or more say working from home will continue, while just 20% of those who earn less than $40,000 agreed.
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Nearly one in five respondents said they’ll continue doing more of their shopping online and a surprising 15% said they’ll continue wearing masks in public even after the pandemic.
Although there’s a big appetite for working from home, schooling from home was almost universally panned. An average 3% of respondents said attending school remotely will continue after the pandemic.
Half of respondents said they have a better opinion of the health care delivery system after living through the pandemic, and 22% say they have a better opinion of health insurance. However, 25% said they have a worse opinion of insurance.
Respondents have little faith in the government’s ability to respond to another pandemic. Over 54% said the experience of last year gave them a less favorable opinion of the government’s capability in that regard.
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