Americans Pray for an end to coronavirus
More than half of all American adults have prayed for the end of the coronavirus outbreak, a poll by the Pew Research Center has found.
The figure includes 86% of Americans who say they pray daily and 73% of US Christians, but also a small percentage of those who wouldn't normally pray. Among those who said they never pray, 15% admitted having to turned to prayer during this time, while 24% of Americans who describe themselves as not belonging to any religion said they had too.
However, the restrictions placed on people to curb the spread of the coronavirus has reduced attendance at religious services. Of those who normally attend at least once or twice a month, 59% said they have reduced their attendance in light of the coronavirus.
The drop may be explained in large part by many churches and other places of worship opting to cancel community services and taken them online. 57% reported watching religious services online or on TV rather than attending in person. Altogether, four in ten regular worshipers appear to have moved their religious attendance online.
More broadly, the coronavirus pandemic has caused nine in ten Americans to change their lifestyle at least "a little," as lock downs come into force and people are encouraged to distance themselves from others. 44% reported "major" changes to their lives.
Changes in working patterns are among the more obvious effects. Four in ten Americans between the ages of 18 and 64 reported working from home because of coronavirus; a figure that rises to a majority among those with college degrees and upper-income workers.
Childcare has also been a factor for many, with 35% of respondents with children younger than 12 at home reporting that it has been very or somewhat difficult for them to handle childcare responsibilities during the crisis. Conversely, 32% said that they had found it easy, while 65% said it had been somewhat easy.
But a less commonly considered aspect has been the impact on anxiety levels among the general public, as the vast majority report feeling uncomfortable doing everyday activities. 91% of those surveyed said they would not like to attend a crowded party, while 77% would not want to eat at a crowded restaurant.
Two in three Americans said they would not feel comfortable going to a polling station to vote, potentially placing the Presidential election due to be held later this year in jeopardy. But fewer reported feeling nervous about more everyday sorts of activities, such as shopping at a grocery store (44%) or visiting a close friend or family member at their home (38%).
Young adults were more likely to be comfortable with all of these activities than someone in an older age bracket, and the survey also found that Republican voters are more likely to be comfortable continuing with normal life during the pandemic than Democrats, even when accounting for the fact that Democrats are more likely to live in states with a higher number of confirmed cases.
Meanwhile, a separate survey on the psychological impact of the crisis found that nearly one in five adults (18%) reported experiencing some physical reactions while thinking about the pandemic, including sweating or a racing heart. When asked how they were feeling over the previous seven days more broadly, not related to coronavirus, 18% of people said they felt nervous or anxious most or all of the time.
Pew surveyed 11,537 US adults between March 19 and 24, 2020 on its online, nationally representative American Trends Panel, and reported a margin of error of +/- 1.5%.
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