Nearly one-third of Americans believe a coronavirus vaccine exists and is being withheld, survey finds – USA TODAY

Pressure to create a coronavirus vaccine is increasing by the day, but for a safe vaccine to enter the market, it takes time. USA TODAY

Nearly one-third of Americans believe a vaccine already exists topreventcoronavirus infection but isbeing withheld from the public, while nearlyhalf believe the COVID-19 virus was created in a lab.

As the coronavirus pandemic nears 50,000 deaths in the U.S. around half don't believe that figure either new data suggests many Americans hold misinformation about thevirus. It signals their mistrust in institutions ascitizens are being asked to rely ongovernment, health and other leaders amid the outbreak.

Twenty-nine percent saidit's either probably or definitely true that a vaccine that prevents coronavirus infection exists and is being withheld, according to theDemocracy Fund + UCLA Nationscape Project with USA TODAY.An even greater percentage, 32%, said they believetreatment that cures coronavirusinfection exists but is being withheld. Around 7out of 10 Americans said those statements are untrue.

"To see about a third of people give that some level of, 'Yeah, that might be true,' that was pretty shocking to me," said Robert Griffin, research director for the Democracy Fund Voter Study Group. "That's a pretty dark type of thought to be floating around the public. There's an undercurrent of a lack of trust in society, a lack of trust in elites."

He added: "You could sort of see how that could suggest sort of a rather nefarious bit of actions on the part of a wide variety of actors within society if people are truly holding onto that idea."

More: More people change their behavior during coronavirus as concern ticks up, survey says

The Democracy Fund + UCLA Nationscape Project, with USA TODAY, is a large-scale study of the American electorate. Throughout the 2020 election cycle, the researchers aim to conduct 500,000 interviews about policies and the presidential candidates.

The latest survey a sample of more than 6,300 Americans taken April 2 to8came as most of the country was approachingone month into stay-at-home orders and before anti-quarantine rallies started popping up at state capitals. Results have a margin of error of 2.2 percentage points. The project intends to trackresponses oncoronavirus misinformation over time.

"There's a variety of battlegrounds in a public health crisis like this," Griffin said, pointing toon-the-ground logistics and unexpected problems that arise. "But another one is just how to convince people of the truth about a variety of things."

Views on the existence of a vaccine are virtually the same among Democrats and Republicans.

No vaccines or treatments areapproved for COVID-19.Volunteers in Seattle who got shots in the first trial of a possible coronavirus vaccine are now getting the second shot an indicator the early trial is progressing well. But health experts have said a vaccine could be 12 to 18 months away, and even that timeframe could be ambitious.

In terms of treatment, Trump has repeatedly touted the potential ofhydroxychloroquine to treat the virus. But Dr. Anthony Fauci,director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has said its effectiveness is inconclusive.

More: 'He's answered that question.' Trump interrupts when reporter asks Fauci about hydroxychloroquine

The survey found 44% of Americans believe the coronavirus was probably created in a a labwhile 56% said this is likely or definitely untrue. Fifty percent of Republicans surveyed said they believe coronavirus was created in a lab compared with 37% of Democrats who said they believed that.

"The key word there is 'created,' Griffin said. "It is a question that points toward intentionality."

The World Health Organization this week said there's no evidence to support the idea that the coronavirus was created in a lab and that it was "probable, likely that the virus is of animal origin."

More: WHO says coronavirus came from an animal and was not made in a lab

President Donald Trump, who has condemned WHO and vowed to pull funding, said the U.S. is investigatingwhetherthe novelcoronavirusbegan spreading after an accident at a Chinese high-security biomedicallaboratory in Wuhan.

Forty-eight percent of Americans said the U.S. is "concealing" the number of coronavirus deaths a sentiment that's more prevalent among Democrats. More than half of Democrats, 55%, said it's probably or definitely true that the number of deaths is being concealed while 38% of Republicans said it is likely so.

Despite survey results that show mistrust, theDemocracy Fund + UCLA Nationscape Project has found that the public is generally following social distancing measures recommended by experts.

Eighty-one percent of Americans saidthey have not left their home for a prolonged period of time, a 9-percentage point jump compared with 72% two weeks before.

"Not all of this is necessarily conspiracy-thinking," Griffin said of the misinformation the survey explored."Some of it might just might purely bemisunderstanding or things that people don't know yet, a lack of education."

Other new survey findings include:

Follow Joey Garrison on Twitter @joeygarrison.

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Nearly one-third of Americans believe a coronavirus vaccine exists and is being withheld, survey finds - USA TODAY