Axios/Ipsos Coronavirus Index: Stress Hits America

Twice as many Democrats as Republicans say they're very concerned about the coronavirus, according to nearly 1,100 adults polled over the weekend for the debut installment of the Axios/Ipsos Coronavirus Index.

Axios' Margaret Talev describes the stark new reality in America: 10% have been told not to work in the past week, 10% say they're self-quarantining, and 22% say their mental health got worse in the past week.

Despite the impact they're feeling in other ways, most Americans said their physical health is unchanged. Only 4% said they know someone who's tested positive.

Details: This new index, produced in a partnership between Axios and global research firm Ipsos, is a vivid weekly barometer of the pandemic's effects on Americans’ health, finances, trust and quality of life. It'll show how we are adapting to social distancing and other realities in this period of national uncertainty. The poll was taken Friday through Monday, as the public began to come to terms with the significance of the outbreak, and has a margin of error of +/- 3.2 points.

Why it matters: The effects of school closures, business restrictions, social distancing and the overload on the medical system are only beginning to set in. The findings reflect something between a panic and a "national malaise," manifesting in anxiety and uncertainty but also "psychological dissonance," said Cliff Young, president of Ipsos U.S. Public Affairs.

Some basic social conventions have already changed: 64% said they'd stopped shaking hands, and 93% said now they're washing their hands with soap for at least 20 seconds.