Can Americans Spot Fake Coronavirus News?

A new Ipsos poll, conducted on behalf of The Daily Beast, examines whether Americans are able to sort through recent false claims made about COVID-19 (three-quarters correctly identify that “anyone who wants a test can get a test” is untrue), while examining attitudes around the virus and its impact on the economy. Though most Americans disagree that it is time to end social distancing to get our economy back on track, there is a wide gulf between Democrats and Republicans on this.

Detailed findings:

1. Most Americans are correctly able to identify misinformation around COVID-19. However, there are some partisan gaps on what information is considered to be true.

•     Overall, majorities correctly identify that the following are false: anyone who wants to get tested can get tested (73%), ibuprofen and aspirin have been proven effective in treating COVID-19 (64%), and the virus will go away on its own in warm weather (51%).
•     There is confusion about the federal government already implementing the Defense Protection Act to make masks and ventilators. At the time this survey was fielded, this was false (it did not happen until late in the day on Friday, Mar. 27), but half believe it to be true.
•     Partisan affiliation affects perceptions of facts. For example, there are more than double the number of Republicans that believe anti-malaria drugs have been approved to treat the virus (32%) than there are Democrats (14%). Among Fox News viewers, even more believe this is true (44%).
•     Also, most Republicans (63%) believe the federal government has invoked the Defense Protection Act for the production of necessary supplies, compared to less than half of Democrats (40%).

2. Across the board, most Americans believe COVID-19 is more deadly than the flu (61%). But when it comes to views around the virus’ economic impact and the government’s role in stopping it, there is little partisan agreement.

•     Majorities of all demographic subgroups – across age, gender, partisan affiliation, education level, area of residence – believe the virus to be more deadly than the flu. The one exception is among Fox News viewers, where less than half (48%) say it is more deadly, 21% say less, and another 21% say about the same.
•     Over half disagree that the cost to slow the virus’ spread is too much for our economy to bear (53%). Also, by a nearly three-to-one margin, more Americans disagree (69%) than agree (26%) that getting people back to work is more important than social distancing. However, there is a nearly 30-point difference between Republicans and Democrats on ending social distancing; fifty-seven percent of Republicans disagree getting people back to work is more important, versus 83% of Democrats.
•     More than six in ten Republicans (62%) – and 72% of Fox News viewers – believe the COVID-19 threat has been overstated by the media and Democrats to damage Donald Trump’s presidency.
•     Eighty-two percent of Democrats believe calling COVID-19 the “China virus” is racist. Just a quarter of Republicans (26%) agree.