A majority of Americans say that several key policies to stop the spread of COVID-19 were generally a good idea in hindsight, according to a new national poll by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the de Beaumont Foundation.
The poll also found, however, that views varied across policies, and many say the policies had negative impacts. The poll, U.S.
Views on Pandemic Policies: Lessons for Emerging Outbreaks , was conducted March 21 to April 2, 2024, among a nationally representative, probability-based sample of 1,017 adults ages 18 or older. A majority of Americans say four key pandemic policies were "generally a good idea" in retrospect, including those related to: Forty-two percent of Americans say all four policies were a good idea and another third (37%) say only some were a good idea. Only 20% say all were "generally a bad idea.
" Views on these pandemic policies vary by subgroup characteristics, including political party affiliation, race, ethnicity, and metropolitan status. The percentage who say all four policies were generally a good idea: Notably, there is some policy receptivity among all subgroups, with majorities of each subgroup saying at least one of the four policies was generally a good idea. For example, 62% of Republicans say at least one was generally a good idea, as do 70% of people living in rural areas.
Reasons given for disliking pandemic policies are both practical and principled. Among those who say key policies were generally a bad idea, .
