Abstract
BackgroundPrevious research found increased COVID-19 spread associated with politics and on-demand testing but not in the same study. The objective of this study is to estimate the contribution of each corrected for the other and a variety of known risk factors.MethodsUsing data from 217 U.S. counties of more than 50,000 population where testing data were available in April, 2021, the associations of COVID-19 deaths with politics, testing and other risk factors were examined by Poisson and least squares regression.ResultsStatistical controls for 15 risk factors failed to eliminate the association of COVID mortality risk with percent of vote for Donald Trump in 2016 or negative tests per population. Each is independently predictive of increased mortality.ConclusionApparently, many people who test negative for the SARS-CoV-2 virus engage in activities that increase their risk, a problem likely to increase with the availability of home tests. There is no association of negative tests with the Trump vote but, according to polling data, Trump voters’ past resistance to public health recommendations has been extended to resistance to being vaccinated, threatening the goal of herd immunity.
Highlights
Previous research found increased COVID-19 spread associated with politics and on-demand testing but not in the same study
COVID-19, the disease caused by a new strain of coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) first detected in China in 2019, began to spread rapidly in the U.S in March 2020
COVID-19 deaths were higher in counties with more negative SARS CoV-2 tests and a higher percent of the 2016 vote for Donald Trump
Summary
Previous research found increased COVID-19 spread associated with politics and on-demand testing but not in the same study. COVID-19, the disease caused by a new strain of coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) first detected in China in 2019, began to spread rapidly in the U.S in March 2020. Research on cumulative COVID-19 mortality in the U.S at the end of May, 2020 found that deaths attributed to the disease were highly concentrated in densely populated counties predictable by indicators of crowding and other social and economic factors [1]. Forty-two percent of U.S counties had no deaths attributed to COVID-19 by the end of May, 2020. Made numerous statements in White House briefings and on social media that contradicted scientific evidence and supported protesters who advocated against countermeasures [3]. Internet hackers based in Russia spread misinformation about the pandemic on social media websites, attempted to steal information about vaccine development, and disabled computers in hospitals
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
