More than 1-in-5 Americans live under a shelter-in-place order.
How does that make us feel?
Americans who are working from home or in lockdown report higher levels of isolation and are more likely to agree with the statement, “I feel very isolated”.
Some groups feel more isolated than others. Young people are feeling particularly isolated, while Republicans and individuals over age 55 are feeling less isolated.
Republicans and individuals over age 55 are also less likely to be in medical-directed quarantine, self-quarantine, and living in areas with shelter-in-place policies.
To some extent, these differences in loneliness are the result of who is in quarantine or under stay-at-home orders. Party and age play a less important role in feelings of isolation when taking into account who is in quarantine or lockdown.
The loneliness of quarantine and stay-at-home policies is reduced by talking to family. Among those who are in quarantine or lockdown, rates of feeling isolated decline if respondents had spoken to family in the last week.