Updated 05/18/2009 09:46 PM
NY1 Exclusive Poll: "Swine Flu" Scare Has Led Half Of NYers To Change Daily Routine
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An exclusive NY1 poll shows that fear of the H1N1 virus has led 50 percent of New Yorkers to change their daily routine – with nearly a third of those surveyed saying they wash their hands more – and 13 percent saying they’re avoid crowds. Meanwhile, 60 percent of those polled said they thought the city’s response to the flu threat has been just about right.POLL RESULTS
1. How do you think New York City has handled the swine flu threat? Would you say the city response to the flu was too much, not enough or just about right?
| Too much | 12% |
| Not Enough | 23% |
| Just about right | 60% |
| Not sure | 5% |
2. Have you made any of the following changes to your daily routine because of the flu, such as avoid crowds, avoid subways or buses, stay home from work or school, avoid shaking hands, wash hands more, or carry hand sanitizer?
3. If yes, which ones?
| Avoid crowds | 26%
(13% of overall respondents) |
| Avoid subways of buses | 14%
(7% of overall respondents) |
| Stay home from work or school | 9%
(4% of overall respondents |
| Avoid shaking hands | 15%
(7% of overall respondents) |
| Wash your hands more | 62%
(31% of overall respondents) |
| Carry hand sanitizer | 37%
(18% of overall respondents) |
Swine Flu Overview: Memo by NY1 Pollster Mickey Blum
The swine flu and its handling by the city is clearly a moving target. One week ago, New Yorkers thought the threat had passed. Then schools were closed again, and now there has been a death in the city.
In a poll completed before the death of the Queens assistant principal, most New Yorkers felt the city had handled the swine flu threat just about right. While 23% said that the city did not do enough in its response to the flu threat, 12% thought they did too much, but a substantial 60%, including parents of children in the public schools, felt the city’s handling of the threat was just about right. A plurality of every group agreed.
New Yorkers did not stay home from work, avoid the subways buses or even crowds because of the flu—in fact half the city (50%) made no changes at all —but those New Yorkers who did mostly just washed their hands more and carried hand sanitizer. About 1/3 of the city (31%) report washing their hands more and 18% carried hand sanitizers.
Methodology
This telephone poll of a random sample of 331 New York City residents was conducted for NY1 by Baruch College Survey Research on May 15 and 16th. The margin of error is +/-5.4 %. For question No. 3, the margin is +/-7.7 %.