U.S. Public Concern About Hospital Capacity Eases Slightly

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- As the number of COVID-19 patients hospitalized in New York has eased while the crisis escalates in other parts of the country, 58% of Americans in Gallup interviews collected April 13-19 express concern about the availability of hospital care in their area. The rate has dropped slightly from the 64% recorded April 6-12.

Americans' concern about the "availability of hospital supplies, services and treatment" in their area is on par with their concern about the availability of coronavirus tests, which is statistically unchanged at 59%.

	April 6-12	April 13-19
	%	%
Availability of coronavirus tests	60	59
Availability of hospital supplies, services and treatment	64	58
Lack of social distancing	50	47
% Very/Moderately worried
Gallup Panel, 2020

Additionally, Gallup asks Americans about "lack of social distancing" where they live, finding that 47% in the past week were very or moderately worried about this. That is similar to the 50% recorded earlier in the month.

These results are based on a nationally representative survey of over 8,000 U.S. adults conducted by web through the probability-based Gallup Panel. More than half of the interviewing for the latest figures was collected before a spate of protests across the country that erupted against state shelter-in-place orders, leading to tweets this past Friday by President Donald Trump encouraging the resistance.

Pessimism on Hospitals Shrinks Among Young Adults, but Not Urban Residents

The recent decline in Americans' concern about the availability of hospital services in their area has occurred more among young than older Americans, but this has only narrowed the generational gaps; young people continue to express more concern than those 50 and older about hospitals.

Concern also fell more steeply among lower- than upper-income Americans, and in the suburbs and town/rural areas but not in cities. Additionally, while concern fell nine percentage points among independents and 10 points among Republicans, it was fairly steady among Democrats.

	April 6-12	April 13-19	Change
	%	%	pct. pts.
Gender
Men	57	52	-5
Women	70	63	-7
Age
18 to 29	83	72	-11
30 to 49	70	63	-7
50 to 64	55	50	-5
65+	53	51	-2
Education
College degree	74	70	-4
No college degree	58	51	-7
Household income
Less than $36,000	68	57	-11
$36,000-$89,999	64	58	-6
$90,000	62	59	-3
Type of community
City	72	69	-3
Suburb	67	60	-7
Small town/Rural	56	49	-7
Party ID
Democrats	84	82	-2
Independents	65	56	-9
Republicans	37	27	-10
Gallup Panel, 2020

Democrats and Related Subgroups Worry Most

Looking at the latest data, profound differences persist on all three health concerns by political party -- particularly for coronavirus tests and hospital care -- with large majorities of Democrats worried about each, compared with fewer than a third of Republicans.

Majorities of Americans in most major demographic subgroups -- by gender, age, education and household income -- say they are very or moderately worried about the availability of tests and proper hospital care. But the rate for social distancing falls below the majority level among some groups, including men, older adults, suburban and rural residents, and political independents.

	Availability of coronavirus tests	Availability of hospital supplies, services and treatment	Lack of social distancing
	%	%	%
National adults	59	58	47
Gender
Men	54	52	41
Women	63	63	52
Age
18 to 29	71	72	68
30 to 49	62	63	54
50 to 64	52	50	38
65+	55	51	34
Education
College degree	73	70	55
No college degree	51	51	43
Household income
Less than $36,000	53	57	46
$36,000-$89,999	59	58	48
$90,000+	61	59	47
Type of community
City	69	69	58
Suburb	60	60	46
Small town/Rural	51	49	42
Party ID
Democrats	84	82	62
Independents	55	56	47
Republicans	29	27	27
Gallup Panel, April 13-19, 2020

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