Poll finds more Americans than ever think we should wear masks

American attitudes and their usage of masks have shifted broadly as President Trump has been hospitalized for COVID-19, a National Geographic and Morning Consult poll taken over the weekend has found.

More than 6 in 10 Americans questioned say they are more favorable toward people wearing a mask, and there have been steady increases in mask usage among people of all ages, demographic groups, and political leanings since a similar poll in July.

Despite noisy no-mask protests, 92 percent of 2,200 Americans polled say they wear a face mask when leaving their home, with 74 percent saying they “always” do. That “always” percentage is up nearly a quarter since July, according to the poll, which has a 2 percent margin of error.

Public health officials call a mask an effective way to curtail airborne transmission of the coronavirus, which has killed more than 210,000 Americans since February and sickened more than 7.4 million. Forty-four states require mask usage in certain situations. (New algorithms can detect whether people are complying with these mask requirements.)

Here’s a more detailed breakdown of the poll results: