More Americans now say they are at risk of getting sick from COVID-19 as the highly infectious delta variant spreads, according to a new poll.
The survey, conducted by The Washington Post and ABC News, found that 47 percent of adults said they have a high or moderate risk of getting sick from COVID-19, which was up from 29 percent who said the same in June.
When asked if they are worried about their perceived risk level, however, only 39 percent said they are very or somewhat concerned. Forty-five percent of respondents said they are not too worried or not at all worried.
More vaccinated and unvaccinated Americans in the new poll also rate their level of COVID-19 risk as high or moderate.
The percentage of vaccinated respondents who said their risk of getting sick from the virus was high or moderate jumped from 32 percent in June to 52 percent in the recent survey. For unvaccinated individuals, the percentage increased from 22 percent to 35 percent.
The increase in perceived risk level comes as the delta variant, which is more contagious than previous versions of the virus, spreads nationwide. It is now the dominant strain in the U.S.
The variant is driving up cases in the U.S., causing states across the country to see a summer surge.
The majority of recent hospitalizations and deaths, however, have mainly been among unvaccinated individuals, as inoculations have largely protected against serious illness.
The new Washington Post/ABC News poll also saw President Biden’s approval rating on his handling of the pandemic slip since last June, falling by 10 points to 52 percent.
The survey polled 1,006 adults between Aug. 29 and Sept. 1. The margin of error 3.5 percentage points.