Medicine & Health

Majorities across 20 publics say government investments in scientific research are worthwhile and express a lot or some confidence in scientists to do what is right for the public.

This roundup of findings shows public views about science-related issues and the role of science in U.S. society.

Americans give their country comparatively low marks for its handling of the pandemic – and people in other nations tend to agree.

There are widely held concerns about the safety and effectiveness of a possible vaccine and the pace of the approval process.

After months of living amid a pandemic, many Americans expect their lives to remain changed even after the COVID-19 outbreak is over.

In several countries, favorable views of the U.S. are at their lowest point since the Center began polling on this topic two decades ago.

The share of Americans who say they know someone else who has been hospitalized or died due to COVID-19 has increased sharply since spring.

As the pandemic continues, a growing share of Americans say they are regularly wearing a face covering in stores and other businesses.

The pandemic has had a divisive effect on a sense of national unity in many of the countries surveyed: A median of 46% feel more national unity now than before the coronavirus outbreak, while 48% think divisions have grown.

Most Republicans say the primary reason for the rise in confirmed coronavirus cases is that more people are being tested.