Omicron worries America, but not enough to precipitate change
December 14- Americans are concerned about the Omicron variant but aren’t willing to change their lives at this point in time. This translates to majority saying they’re likely to wear masks indoors, but few plan to put a stop to socializing, seeing friends and family or going out to eat. Few say they plan to cancel holiday travel, but most support a proof of vaccination requirement in order to fly.
Stories this week –
Omicron response:
- Vaccinated and unvaccinated Americans remain divided on mask use, despite Omicron
- Most Americans support proof of vaccination to fly
- No big difference between out-of-home behavior between seniors and the rest of the public
Exercise divide:
Licensing rights:
Vaccinated and unvaccinated Americans remain divided on mask use, despite Omicron
Two in three Americans say they’re likely to wear a mask indoors in response to the Omicron variant, although this is largely driven by vaccinated Americans. Just two in five unvaccinated say they plan to wear masks.
This does not represent a significant change from pre-Omicron mask-wearing habits. As of late November, 67% reported wearing a mask most or all of the time when outside the home, indicating that Omicron hasn’t prompted deeper behavioral change.
Despite broader concerns about the variant, few plan to stop socializing or eating out. Just 28% say they plan to quarantine and just 23% say they will cancel holiday travel plans. On these points, there is little difference between the vaccinated and unvaccinated.
Most Americans support proof of vaccination to fly
This holiday season, three in five Americans would support airlines requiring proof of vaccination to fly to limit the spread of Omicron. However, the unvaccinated are much less supportive, at just 31%.
The vaccinated and unvaccinated are more aligned around travel bans for people entering the country. A majority support a travel ban on foreign nationals, while just under half support a ban on anyone entering the country, including US citizens.
No big difference in out-of-home behavior between seniors and the rest of the public
In the past year, the out-of-home behavior between those 65+ and everyone else has been largely the same.
Many across both groups went to restaurants, bars, and sporting events this year, as people got vaccinated, contended with the rise of new variants, and increasingly ventured out of their homes, despite the elevated risk COVID entails for those 65 and over.
Though, there were a few activities that produced notable differences between seniors and everyone else. For example, one in four Americans overall has been to the movies, while only 16% of seniors have. Similarly, about one in ten Americans (13%) went to an amusement park this year, while only 4% of seniors had gone.
While these findings speak to where people have gone in the last year, they do not paint a picture of how frequently people have attended these various locations and events.
People making over $50K are more likely to exercise
Across all types of exercise, people making over $50K are more likely to exercise than those making less than that, Ipsos analysis finds.
Taking a long walk is by far the most popular form of exercise people regularly do, regardless of their income. Still, three in four people making over $50K report taking long walks occasionally or more in the last month, while just 57% of those under that threshold have done the same, posing an 18-point gap between the two groups. There are similar gaps for other exercises, like running, riding a bike, swimming, lifting weights, or circuit training.
While exercising differs by income, other wellness activities, like mediation, do not. Two in five Americans (42%) report practicing meditation or mindfulness in the past month, with no statistically significant difference by income here (Under $50K 39% vs. $50K+ 43%).
Women don’t think artists should lose rights to their work when signing a contract
New Ipsos polling finds that most people (57%) don’t think artists should lose all rights to their work or name when signing a contract. Notably, there are some gender differences here, with more women (63%) than men (52%) feeling that artists should not forfeit their rights to their work and name. On the flip side, men (15%) are twice as likely as women (7%) to feel that they should.
There is a notably high share of people (31%) who neither agree nor disagree, something that holds regardless of gender.
