New High: 42 Percent Say Worst of Pandemic Behind Us

March 11, 2021: Forty-two percent (42%) of voters now believe the worst of the coronavirus pandemic is behind us. A Scott Rasmussen national survey found that 28% disagree and believe the worst is still to come.[1]

That’s the most optimistic assessment yet. Until very recently, a majority or plurality of voters had said the worst is still to come in every survey dating back nearly a year. As recently as late November, 68% believed the worst was still to come. At that time, only 18% believed the worst was behind us.

However, the arrival of COVID-19 vaccines dramatically decreased the levels of pessimism. By late January, 33% of voters believed the worst of the pandemic was behind us, while 40% believed the worst was still to come. Then, two weeks ago, for the first time ever, a plurality of voters believed the worst was behind us. At that point, 39% took the optimistic view, while 31% gave a more pessimistic answer.

The latest numbers show that 73% of voters have either received the vaccine or know someone who has.

Other data from the survey shows that 40% of voters believe the Biden administration will move too slowly to re-open society. Thirty-five percent (35%) fear it will move too fast. Sixty-five percent (65%) of Republicans fear the Biden team will wait too long, while 51% of Democrats fear it will move too fast.[1]

Looking back, 50% of voters believed many states and cities overreacted to the coronavirus pandemic in ways that did more harm than good. A Scott Rasmussen national survey found that 37% disagreed and 13% were not sure.

Republicans, by a 56% to 22% margin, now believe the worst is behind us. Democrats are evenly divided on the question. Among independents, 38% say the worst is behind us, while 29% believe it is still to come.[1]

Footnotes:

1. ScottRasmussen.com, "Confidence growing: 42% now believe worst of pandemic is behind us, 28% disagree," March 8, 2021

Each weekday, Scott Rasmussen's Number of the Day explores interesting and newsworthy topics at the intersection of culture, politics, and technology. Columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author. Scott Rasmussen's Number of the Day is published by Ballotpedia weekdays at 9:00 a.m. Eastern. Columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author. Scott Rasmussen is founder and president of the Rasmussen Media Group. He is the author of "Mad as Hell: How the Tea Party Movement Is Fundamentally Remaking Our Two-Party System," "In Search of Self-Governance," and "The People's Money: How Voters Will Balance the Budget and Eliminate the Federal Debt." Read Scott Rasmussen's Reports — More Here.