According to a new national survey by Pew Research Center, Americans’ confidence in health scientists has grown since the COVID-19 outbreak first began. Furthermore, most U.S. adults think the outbreak increases the importance of scientific developments.

Those who said they have a “a great deal of confidence” in medical scientists to act in the public’s best interests has gone up from 35% before the outbreak to 43%. A large percentage of respondents (46%) said they currently have “a fair amount” of confidence that scientists will act in the public’s best interests.  

However, the polling data also reflects growing partisan divisions over the risk the novel coronavirus poses to public health, as well as public confidence in the scientific and medical community and the role such experts are playing in public policy.

Additional details about the Pew poll can be found at this link.