Poll: Majority of Americans going to work fear exposing their household to the coronavirus

A Washington Post-Ipsos poll of more than 8,000 adults in late April and early May found that nearly 6 in 10 Americans who are working outside their homes were concerned that they could be exposed to the virus at work and infect other members of their household. Those concerns were even higher for some: Roughly 7 in 10 black and Hispanic workers said they were worried about getting a household member sick if they are exposed at work.

Nearly 1 in 3 Americans — and over half of those with jobs — have continued to leave the house for work at least once a week as the virus has spread and states have issued stay-at-home orders, the poll found. More than one-third of people still going to work said they or a household member has a serious chronic illness, and 13 percent said they lack health insurance themselves.

Nearly 8 in 10 Americans leaving home to work said their employers were doing enough to keep them safe, with a similar majority saying their work is “essential” and about 7 in 10 feeling appreciated for it.

But more than a third said they had probably been exposed on the job already.