What is the effect of Covid-19 on peoples' lives and expectations right now?

Fewer than one-quarter of adults report that their life is the same as it was before the pandemic (23%). Three in 10 report it is not at all the same (31%).

Craftsmen, laborers, farm workers, and homemakers report the highest percentages of life being exactly the same. Service workers report the highest rate of life as not at all the same.

For people who say their lives are not back to normal, one-quarter say it definitely will get back to normal (24%), while over one-third say it definitely will not (35%). Four in 10 are unsure (40%).

Adult Gen Zs are the most optimistic their lives will be back to normal (31%). 35- to 54-year-olds are the most pessimistic that their lives will get back to normal (41%)

By income, the lowest and the highest income adults are the most pessimistic, with 40% saying their lives will definitely not get back to normal.

One factor influencing peoples' attitudes about getting back to normal could be how much of a risk to their health and well-being it would be to get back to normal pre-pandemic life due to the current state of Covid-19. Almost eight in 10 adults think there is still a risk (79%).

Almost six in 10 are still concerned about the Covid-19 outbreak (58%).

Four in 10 think there is still a large or moderate risk of in-person gatherings (40%). Almost four in 10 say there is a large or moderate risk of returning to their pre-coronavirus life (38%).