Americans divided on buying up the world stock of remdesivir  

Candice JaimungalSocial Media Contributor
July 08, 2020, 12:00 PM GMT+0

The United States has bought up virtually all the world stock of remdesivir – one of the two drugs proven to help against COVID-19.

On June 29, 2020, the Trump administration announced that they bought more than 500,000 doses of remdesivir, a drug produced by the American pharmaceutical company Gilead – leaving little for the rest of the world.

A recent poll from YouGov finds that Americans are divided (40% vs. 42%) on whether the United States should consider the rest of the world and share COVID-19 pharmaceutical supplies.

About two in five (42%) Americans say the United States should look after its people first and foremost. A similar number of people (40%) disagree, stating that the US should consider the rest of the world and share supplies of the drug.

Republicans (74%) are more likely than Independents (43%) or Democrats (29%) to say the US should look after its people first and foremost. Nearly three in five Democrats (57%) think the US should consider the rest of the world and share supplies of the drug.

Americans over the age of 55 are the most likely demographic to say the United States should look after its people first and foremost (47%). About half (44%) of Americans ages 25 to 34 say the country should consider the rest of the world and share supplies of the drug.

The divide widens slightly based on gender: 45 percent of men say the United States should look after its people first and foremost, compared to 40 percent of women.

Subscribe to the YouGov Daily newsletter.

Related: Two-thirds of Americans are now worried about personally experiencing COVID-19

Disapproval of Trump's handling of COVID-19 reaches its highest level since the crisis began

Image: Getty

Explore more data & articles