Penn Survey: Zika Has People Really (Really) Confused
If the latest survey on Zika performed by Penn’s Annenberg Public Policy Center is any indication, people are really confused about the virus.
According to the survey, the center’s fourth in a series of surveys on the Zika virus, 42 percent of the over 1,000 American respondents thought it was “very or somewhat likely that people infected with the Zika virus will die from it,” a press release says. Good news, folks: It is actually really unlikely. As the CDC says, “People usually don’t get sick enough to go to the hospital and they very rarely die of Zika.”
In fact, people with Zika very rarely show symptoms — eight out of 10 who contract the virus don’t show any, the CDC says. Though, 44 percent of Americans surveyed thought that the virus always produced a noticeable array of symptoms. This is important to note, because those with the virus might not have any idea they’re infected, which means they could spread the virus, which can be sexually transmitted, to others without knowing. But before you freak out, when it comes to the U.S., the only cases of Zika that have been reported have been reported by people who recently traveled to countries with Zika outbreaks. You can see the full survey (and how your Zika knowledge stacks up against other Americans’) here.
Now, did that clear some things up? If you’re still lost (totally understandable given the amount of Zika chatter on the interwebs), you can check out the CDC’s guidelines for Zika — including their suggestion for pregnant women to steer clear of traveling to countries with outbreaks — here.
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