By Pat Anson, PNN Editor

Is it time for the coronavirus lockdown to end? Should states, schools and non-essential businesses re-open? Like everything else in a sharply divided nation, the answers to those questions are often riven with politics, misinformation and distrust.

“The president is wrong about opening up our economy! Yes, it has to be done but it's way too soon, the active cases and deaths are steadily going up and he wants to throw people out into public? It's not the right time and he is fixing to kill a lot more people,” one person told us.

“They are in too big of a hurry to re-open everything and we will all suffer for that decision. My wife is an essential worker and I worry a great deal for her,” said another.

“I'm stunned how much of this country is not taking this seriously, from the top down. I am 59 years old, and extremely ill already from chronic Lyme and many co-infections. I am terrified of this virus because I am sure I will die from it,” one patient said.

Those are some of the responses we received from over 1,700 people in the United States to our coronavirus survey. The online survey was conducted April 6-20 by Pain News Network, the International Pain Foundation and the Chronic Pain Association of Canada from April 6-20. Over 2,200 people responded worldwide, the largest survey of its kind.

‘The Country is Overreacting’

All of the respondents indicated they have chronic pain or chronic illness. Many are also elderly and have compromised immune systems, which puts them at higher risk of severe symptoms and death if they become infected with COVID-19. Like many healthcare workers, many are still unable to get simple protective gear such as face masks.

If you think that would make everyone cautious about reopening the U.S. economy, you’d be wrong.

“The country is overreacting, and this is going to destroy this country financially and make it difficult to continue to get good healthcare if providers go bankrupt,” one person told us.

“People have to go back to work, life will be worse off if people lose their jobs,” said another.

“I think for the most part it is overblown and they are inflating the numbers on purpose. We should be opening businesses on a slow but steady basis, not based on the governors’ poll numbers,” another person said.

Asked how they would rate the U.S. federal government’s response to the coronavirus, over 55% rated it poor or very poor, while only 29% said it was good or very good.

That dim assessment by U.S. residents is in marked contrast to how residents of other English speaking countries view their governments’ response to the pandemic.

Although the number of survey respondents in Canada (391), United Kingdom (51) and Australia (26) is far less than our U.S. sample — and not as meaningful statistically — they are much more likely to have a positive rating for their own governments. Canada’s response to the pandemic was rated good or very good by 55% of Canadians.

State and Local Governments Rated Better

In contrast to the federal response, chronic pain patients in the U.S. have more favorable opinions about how their state and local governments are handling the pandemic. Nearly 48% said the response was good or very good, compared to 27% who rated it poor or very poor.

“It stuns me, the level of gross incompetence and general apathy of the federal government toward average Americans. Thank God for independent governors,” one person said.

“Trump and his administration have failed this country in every possible way. They wasted months of time they should have been preparing,” said another.

“The lack of preparation is disheartening! I know that these plans were available when this administration got into office and then all that went right out the window. This lead to many unnecessary deaths while they screamed it was nothing but a Democratic hoax,” wrote another patient.

“If our federal government was on top of this, we wouldn’t have as many people dying around the country. If we had Medicare for All, then we would have an adequate supply of PPE. My state governor did a good job of early lockdown, but the local response and local people did not,” said another.

“We have all been left to die of COVID-19 because the current administration refused to step up and behave like real leaders should. And I believe that many lives could have been saved had Trump done his job in the earlier months instead of lying about it and pretending it didn't exist,” another patient wrote.

“While bad, the media has once again blown it out of proportion. Another attempt to discredit our president. This year’s flu has killed more!” said a Trump supporter.

“Thank goodness Trump cut off flights to China when he did! Good job POTUS,” said another.

Conspiracy Theories

We didn’t ask people what they thought was the source of the virus, but many offered an opinion anyway. Some believe the coronavirus was engineered in a laboratory or is part of a larger conspiracy.

“The Wuhan Chinese worldwide pandemic is germ warfare started by China for economic reasons,” one patient said.

“I personally really believe that this pandemic was deliberately done by the government of China to bring the U.S., Canada, and other strategic countries down for a very easy takeover. I also believe that the Chinese already have the vaccine for this virus,” said another.

“I fear that this outbreak is being used as a way to destroy the American Constitution and Bill of Rights and allow the government to take over every aspect of our lives. I fear that people, in their terror, will allow the government to do anything it wants,” another patient warned.

“I strongly believe and feel that there is something much more sinister going on behind the scenes that is able to be carried out freely while everyone is shut/locked away in their homes,” warned another patient. “I just really believe that this is the absolute best scenario for them to setup extensive 5G systems networks. And there's got to be something else that they are planning for a new regime of control, greed and power over the world.”

“Conspiracy type stuff is intriguing but detrimental to my health. I've stopped exposing myself to it as well as to most news,” said another patient.

“I don't know what or who to believe!” was the opinion shared by several people.

And so it goes. Thanks to everyone who participated in our survey. If you’d like to see some of the other survey findings, click here. Stay safe and be kind to one another.