In late November and early December, IPRE sent a survey across the state of Oregon to collect information on the knowledge, practices, and behaviors around COVID-19 to a representative sample of the state’s residents. Today we are happy to share our first look at the results from our survey.
The key takeaways from our report, which you can find here, is that a small, but significant, percentage of Oregonians engage in risky behaviors including are not following social distancing and mask wearing guidance when visiting public places and attending social gatherings. These behaviors are contributing to the spread of COVID-19.
How close has COVID-19 hit home for Oregonians? 88% Know someone who has contracted COVID. 7% of Urban residents and 9% of rural residents have contracted COVID-19 themselves.
What are their thoughts on the COVID-19 vaccine? 24% of Oregonians indicate they will not get vaccinated. 33 % are vaccine-hesitant–saying they ‘may’ get the vaccine, but have yet to commit.
Are Oregonians practicing social distancing in all settings? 22% Never socially distance with friends inside. 30% Never socially distance at work indoors. 11% attend gatherings of 10+ once or more a week. 10% plan holiday gatherings of 10 or more people.
How are we doing on wearing masks? 30% Never wear masks indoors with friends. 26% Never wear masks outdoors with friends.
To get more insight from our findings, read our report: COVID-19 Masking, Social Distancing, and Vaccines: Results from a random sample survey of Oregon Residents.
The summary findings are confusing without the exact research questions that were asked. “22% Never socially distance with friends inside” could include both people who visit friends indoors but do not practice social distancing (high risk), as well as people who never visit friends indoors (low risk). I have not been inside a friend’s house since March.
@Chris – Here’s the question:
Approximately what percent of the time do you socially distance (maintain 6 feet or more of separation) in the following situations? (enter a number between 0 and 100).
When you are with family members
When you with your friends
At work
When you are at restaurants/bars
When you are shopping
A response would be inclusive of people who never visit friends indoors. An individual like that would presumably say 100% of the time or not respond to the question.