Jeez, Reggie, if you told me about the biscuits and gravy earlier I sure would have changed my mind about this whole business....for sure sure.
Red states experienced higher cumulative COVID-19 mortality rates than blue states overall <5.6.5>, particularly after vaccines became widely available in 2021. While blue states suffered higher death rates during the initial spring 2020 wave, the trend shifted significantly over the course of the pandemic as partisan differences in mitigation policies and vaccination uptake widened. [, , , , ]
Timeline and Shifts in Mortality
- Early Pandemic (2020): Blue states, particularly densely populated northeastern metropolitan areas like New York and New Jersey, faced the earliest surges and higher initial per-capita death rates. [, , ]
- Later Pandemic (2021–2022): Red states and counties experienced sharper increases in infections and deaths. Studies analyzing excess mortality found that Republican-leaning areas suffered substantially higher per-capita death rates than Democratic-leaning areas once vaccines were accessible. [, , , ]
Contributing Factors
- Vaccination Rates: Studies consistently link lower uptake of COVID-19 vaccines in red states and conservative counties to higher relative mortality risk during the Delta and Omicron waves. [, ]
- Mitigation Policies: Red states, on average, implemented fewer state-mandated restrictions (such as mask mandates or business closures) and lifted them earlier than blue states. [, ]
- Demographics and Health: Underlying biological and public health factors—such as median age, baseline health status, and preexisting conditions—also interacted with regional policy and behavior differences to influence final outcomes.
What a load of bullshit....