Table 1.
Knowledge items by response type percentage and correct responses shown in bold.
| True | False | Not sure | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The virus is a severe form of the flu | 43.4 | 44.3 | 12.3 |
| Pets can spread the virus to humans | 29.0 | 48.4 | 22.6 |
| The virus spreads more quickly than most others including SARS | 78.9 | 11.1 | 10.0 |
| The virus is a mutated form of the common cold | 27.3 | 55.4 | 17.3 |
| Social distancing is key to reducing the spread of the virus | 83.6 | 12.9 | 3.5 |
| Individuals without symptoms can spread the virus | 79.5 | 16.1 | 4.4 |
| The virus can spread through insect bites | 16.7 | 69.8 | 13.5 |
| There is no vaccine to protect against the virus* | 83.0 | 12.9 | 4.1 |
| The primary, overarching goal of requiring people to shelter in place is to decrease the rate of transmitting the virus | 60.1 | 39.9 | NA |
| There are different kinds of coronaviruses, all of which can cause serious illness in humans. | 70.1 | 18.5 | 11.4 |
| The coronaviruses are named for their smooth surface as seen under a microscope. | 24.0 | 52.5 | 23.5 |
| Health officials do not believe COVID-19 was deliberately created or released by people. | 58.7 | 20.2 | 21.1 |
| The virus can cause severe respiratory problems impacting the nose, throat, and lungs. | 91.2 | 5.9 | 2.9 |
| The incubation period of COVID-19 is within 14 days of initial symptoms. | 88.3 | 6.2 | 5.6 |
| At this time, the number of people who have died from COVID-19 worldwide is far lower than the number of people who have recovered. | 66.6 | 16.4 | 17.0 |
*
A vaccine had not yet been developed in April, 2020, when the survey was administered; NA, not applicable because this item had only True/False options.