COVID-19 pandemic's impact on the public's confidence in scientific community: The role of personal contact

Abstract

Objective: This study considers how having personally tested positive for COVID-19 or knowing someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 is associated with an individual's reported change in confidence in the scientific community due to the pandemic. Methods: Using data generated from a probability sample of U.S. adults, we estimate regression models predicting individuals’ reported change in confidence in the scientific community due to the pandemic. Results: Political affiliation, age, having tested positive for COVID-19, and knowing someone who tested positive for COVID-19 are associated with reporting changes in confidence in the scientific community due to the pandemic. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the public's perception of the scientific community's response to the COVID-19 pandemic is in part shaped by individuals’ personal contact with the virus.