Nearly two-thirds of Americans now hold negative views of China, according to a new poll conducted by the Pew Research Center.

The poll was taken March 3-29, as the novel coronavirus spread throughout the U.S. The virus is believed to have originated in Wuhan, China.

Sixty-six percent of those polled said they held an unfavorable opinion of China, compared to 26 percent who said their opinion was favorable.

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Just two years ago, only 47 percent of Americans said their opinion of China was unfavorable, marking a steep change in public opinion over a short period.

Sixty-two percent in the new survey also saw China as a major threat to the United States, up from 48 percent in 2018.

Republicans were now more likely to hold unfavorable views of China. In the poll, 72 percent of GOP voters held an unfavorable view of China, compared to 62 percent of Democratic voters.

Older Americans also tended to have more negative opinions about China, with 71 percent of those 50 years old and older saying their view is unfavorable, compared to 43 percent of people between the ages of 18 and 29.

--This report was updated on April 22 at 5:43 a.m.