I mentioned on Thursday talking with readers who have had difficulty convincing older relatives to take basic social distancing precautions because they’ve heard on Fox News that the threat is being hyped for political purposes. Now Ipsos/Reuters has released a poll which shows a significant though not overwhelming difference between the self-reported precautions by Democrats and Republicans.
40% of Democrats says they have not altered their daily routines. 54% of Republicans say this. 48% of Democrats say they’re washing their hands or using disinfectants more frequently. 38% of Republicans say the same. (Poll data here.) Across the board Democrats perceive COVID-19 as a bigger than Republicans and are taking more steps to prepare.
These are not huge differences. But they’re significant. And spread over time and hundreds of millions of Americans they could easily have real world health impacts.
