U.S. poll shows growing worries about coronavirus; drop in confidence in government

Sixty percent of Americans are now 'very' or 'somewhat worried' they or a family member will be exposed to the coronavirus, up from 36% in February, while confidence in the government's ability to respond has fallen sharply, a new poll showed.

The Gallup poll was conducted on March 2-13, shortly after the first positive case of the fast-spreading virus was reported in the United States, and came as the Trump administration accelerated its response to the pandemic. Sixty-one percent of Americans are 'very' or 'somewhat confident' in the U.S. government's ability to respond, a drop of 16% from February, the poll showed.