Poll: Most Americans Think Worst of Coronavirus Pandemic is Yet to Come

 Half of Americans believe the worst of the coronavirus pandemic is still ahead as officials warn of a difficult winter to come and the U.S. set a record for daily deaths from the virus.

A Kaiser Family Foundation survey published Friday found that 51% of Americans say the worst of the outbreak is yet to come, while 25% say the worst is already over. Nineteen percent of respondents say the pandemic is not and will not be a major problem.

Health officials report more than 17.2 million cases of COVID-19 in the U.S., the most of any country, and the country surpassed 300,000 deaths this week, with a death toll now topping 310,790.

Amid rising cases, the survey found that 68% of Americans, the most since the foundation began asking the question in February, are very or somewhat worried that they or a family member will get sick from COVID-19. Democrats are nearly twice as likely as Republicans to worry about themselves or their families getting sick, 83% compared to 46%.

While Americans are afraid of contracting the virus, they continue to adhere to social distancing guidelines and face-covering recommendations. Nearly three-quarters, 73%, of Americans say they wear a mask every time they leave their home, a 21-point increase from a May survey. The same percentage think wearing a mask to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 is part of everyone's responsibility.

Among political parties, Democrats are most likely to wear masks, with 87% saying they always wear a mask outside of their home, compared to 71% of independents and 55% of Republicans. Republicans are split when it comes to mask-wearing responsibility, with half saying it is everyone's responsibility to help protect the health of others and 45% saying wearing a mask is a personal choice.

As the U.S. begins mass vaccinations, the survey found that most adults, 70%, say they can continue following social distancing guidelines for six or more months, or until a vaccine is widely available to the public. Seventy-five percent of respondents said they could follow guidelines for another four to six months and 9% said they won't follow social distancing restrictions at all.