According to the latest Siena College poll, New Yorkers are more pessimistic about COVID-19 than they were just a few months ago.
In June, just 17% of those polled by Siena thought the worst of the pandemic was yet to come. Now, that number is up to 36%.
Don Levy, director of the Siena Research Institute, said that's probably because many people thought that by this time, the health crisis would be over.
"And it's not the case for New Yorkers as they go through their day," he said. "Surprisingly, 78% told us they think -- if not all of the time, at least some of the time -- about protecting themselves and their family from getting COVID. So this is an incessant worry."
Four out of 10 New Yorkers said they recently had arguments with friends or family members about COVID-related issues like vaccinations, mask-wearing, or social distancing.
"This is something that's with us every single day," Levy said. "It affects our relationships, it affects our behavior, and it will continue to for quite some time."
Overall, 10% said they will not get vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the poll. That figure was higher -- 14% - in upstate.
Levy said an additional 5% or 6% who refused to answer the question might also be in the vaccine-resistant group.
Three-quarters of New Yorkers who said they were already vaccinated plan to get a booster shot.
The poll was conducted between Sept. 29 and Oct. 7, and was based on random telephone calls to 394 New York adults and 403 responses drawn from a proprietary online panel.
