US Covid Deaths Get Even Redder
US Covid Deaths Get Even Redder – and the numbers aren’t just going down. The article points out the partisan gap in Covid deaths. It also highlights the concentration of Covid deaths in rural areas and the increased number in counties that are pro-Biden. The author also mentions the issue of vaccine exemptions.
The Partisan Gap in US Covid Deaths Toll
The partisan gap in the COVID death toll in the United States is significant. It is clear that more people have died from the virus in Republican-dominated counties than in Democratic-controlled counties. The GOP’s resistance to vaccination and cavalier approach to fighting the virus are two contributing factors. As a result, the COVID 19 pandemic could impact the 2020 elections in a political sense.
A recent poll found that only a third of Americans have a clear understanding of the current COVID death toll. Of those polled, 33% think that a thousand people are dying every day. But new cases are decreasing, and Americans report that their perception of risk has diminished. The survey also showed that people are returning to their normal pre-COVID lives.
The concentration of deaths in rural areas
Although it is not clear which factors are responsible for the increase in rural mortality, it appears that there are several systemic failures in our country’s healthcare system that contribute to these disparities. These include the nation’s healthcare infrastructure, which has a significant impact on some causes of death. Moreover, differences in certain behavioral factors may also contribute to rural mortality.
While mortality rates in rural areas are generally lower than in urban areas, this disparity has increased in the last thirty years. This effect is particularly pronounced in non-Hispanic whites. However, the rural U.S. is not a homogeneous group, and some rural areas have experienced larger increases in mortality rates than others in the past three decades. To better understand the causes of rural mortality, future studies should look at causes of death for non-metro NH whites and other racial/ethnic groups. In addition, future research should consider the disparities between whites and other non-metro racial/ethnic groups in nonmetro areas.
Increase in deaths in counties with pro-Biden ties
There is a strong correlation between deaths from COVID-19 and counties that voted for Donald Trump or Vice President Joe Biden, according to data compiled by NPR. According to the study, people living in counties where Trump won by more than 60 percent were nearly three times as likely to die from the disease as those who voted for Biden. The cause is likely political polarization and misinformation.
The increase in deaths in counties that voted for Biden and Trump is striking. While deaths in counties that voted for the former are higher, the difference between the two groups narrows with the amount of the winning margin. For example, counties where Trump won by at least 25 points had a death rate of 236 per 100,000 people, while counties where Biden won by just 25 points had a death rate of 293 per 100,000.
Vaccination exemptions
The debate over vaccination exemptions has become increasingly contentious in the United States. Anti-vaccine activists call the new laws an assault on religious freedom and parental rights. In Washington state, lawmakers have banned non-medical reasons for exemptions from vaccinations. However, MMR vaccine exemptions remain in place.
Some parents believe that vaccines cause autism. However, dozens of peer-reviewed studies have proven no link. Some even claim that the Bible prohibits the destruction of the body, which is what vaccines do. As of this writing, nearly two thousand New York parents had obtained religious exemptions from vaccinations. But the state law requires all children to receive vaccinations within two weeks of starting school. In addition, those parents who refuse to comply will be forced to leave the state.
Vaccination hesitancy
The anti-vaccine movement is well funded, politically connected, and media savvy. Yet, it still only makes up a small percentage of the unvaccinated population. The majority of people in the United States are not opposed to vaccinations; they are simply hesitant. And with the right approach, they can be persuaded to get their shots.
There are several reasons for the growing hesitancy to get vaccines. One is that the United States is rapidly approaching a “vaccine wall,” where the supply of vaccines far outstrips the demand. Once that wall is reached, the rate of vaccination slows down. In the meantime, 88 percent of Democrats and 54 percent of Republicans want to get fully vaccinated.
