Researchers at the Yale School of Public Health found a significant difference in the death rate from COVID between Republican and Democratic voters in Ohio and Florida. Researchers looked at deaths from COVID and found that, once vaccinations were available to adults, the excess death rate among Republican voters was 43% higher than the excess death rate among Democratic voters. The study, which was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, suggests that differences in attitudes about vaccinations may have factored into the severity and trajectory of the pandemic in the U.S. Reached by email, lead investigator Jacob Wallace, Ph. D., said that the team is working on expanding the study to a national sample, to see whether the results from Florida and Ohio will hold true in other states.

WGCU is your trusted source for news and information in Southwest Florida. We are a nonprofit public service, and your support is more critical than ever. Keep public media strong and donate now. Thank you.