On March 17, 2020, Marist College and the New York Times released a poll on Americans’ attitudes toward the coronavirus pandemic. 38% of those polled felt that the threat of coronavirus was overblown, while 6% were unsure. What’s particularly startling about those numbers is that even though a majority — 56% — felt that COVID-19 was a serious threat, those numbers were down from what people thought just a few weeks prior. Another poll a week later, from Monmouth University, found that a similar percentage thought the COVID-19 virus was the most serious issue facing the country at the moment. These statistics point out the difficulty in conveying scientific and public health information to an increasingly, and often justifiably, skeptical public. Dominique Brossard has made a career on public opinion dynamics related to risk. She is the Chair of the Department of Life Sciences Communication at the University of Wisconsin Madison, and she joined Monday Buzz host Brian Standing on March 30, 2020.
