How do Clatsop County residents feel about the coronavirus pandemic? Tired.

That was the most common answer given by participants in an anonymous county Public Health Department survey. Of 421 people who answered the question, 182 — 43% — felt that way.

The second-most common feeling, shared by 38% of respondents, was worry and concern. Frustration came in third at 30%.

The survey results arrived as virus cases in the county began to spike after steadily climbing since mid-April. Dozens of new virus cases have appeared over the last week, according to the county.

The health department decided to conduct a survey gauging public attitudes toward the virus, and the response to it, when the county’s booster rate failed to track with the county’s vaccination rate, which at more than 74% is among the highest in Oregon.

Margo Lalich, the county’s interim public health director, said the survey results confirm this trend.

The survey, which opened in April and ended May 30, was not designed to be scientific. The results are also skewed by self-selection bias: The people most likely to participate are also more likely to be engaged in the issues and have strong feelings about them that may not reflect those of the larger community.

But the survey results did have information the Public Health Department can use, Lalich said.

One thing the department learned: While respondents overwhelmingly said they had enough information on vaccines, the county may need to do a better job of providing info on how to get treatment for COVID-19.

A question asked respondents about the impact of the pandemic on their lives.

More than 75% said the pandemic had a negative effect on their mental health, and just over 51% said it was bad for their physical health. Thirty-four percent said the pandemic hurt their financial situation, and almost 38% said it had a negative effect on their family relationships. About two-thirds of respondents said the pandemic had no effect on their employment.

“We haven’t had time to fully process the impact of the pandemic on our lives because we’ve been in a status of uncertainty, and we’ve been coping,” Lalich said.

The health department was also curious about parents’ decision about whether to vaccinate their children against COVID-19.

Among parents of children 12 to 17 years old, almost 64% said their child had received at least one vaccine dose, while almost 32% said they are “definitely not getting” their child vaccinated.

Of the parents choosing not to vaccinate their 12- to 17-year-olds, 34% said they don’t trust that the vaccines are safe, while 32% said they don’t believe their child’s age group is at risk.

Among parents of children ages 5 to 11, more than 61% said their child already had one or more jabs. The group “definitely not getting” their young children vaccinated was almost 34%.

Of these parents, about 36% don’t trust in the vaccines’ safety, and more than 38% don’t believe the age group is at risk.

For parents of children under 5, almost 49% said they’re “definitely not” getting their child vaccinated.

On a question about their children’s welfare, 78% percent of parents said the pandemic has hurt their children’s education, and almost 77% said it has hurt their mental health.

That question had only 92 respondents. “But I bet if everyone completed the survey, it probably wouldn’t change that much,” Lalich said.