More than a third of Americans say in a poll released Tuesday that they have not moved past the pandemic but believe others around them have, indicating a possible rift in how people are viewing COVID-19.
The new Axios-Ipsos poll found that 35 percent of respondents said they believe people around them have moved past COVID-19 while they themselves have not.
While 42 percent say they have returned to what their lives were like before the pandemic, 33 percent say returning to their normal pre–COVID-19 lives will never happen or will take over a year.
Thirty-one percent of respondents said that they believe the pandemic has ended, which the poll notes includes 10 percent of Democrats, 27 percent of independents and 59 percent of Republicans.
The survey also found that respondents who are vaccinated are less likely to believe the pandemic has ended (22 percent), compared to those who have not received their shots (55 percent).
The findings come as the country reports higher numbers of COVID-19 cases than seen earlier this spring, but with a modest increase in hospitalizations and deaths related to the virus largely flat. Many businesses have largely returned to pre-COVID-19 protocols, with fewer requirements for masks inside or showing proof of vaccination.
The Axios-Ipsos poll was conducted between June 10 and June 13 with 1,079 adults surveyed. The margin of sampling error is between 3 and 3.5 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level.
