Trump-supporting states have increased their coronavirus Google searches, but polls show Republicans remain less concerned


Googling coronavirus appears to have become much less partisan, The Washington Post reports.
During the period between Feb. 13 and March 13, there was a noticeable correlation between a state's support for President Trump and the number of Google searches for "coronavirus" among its residents. Blue states were searching the term twice as much as red states, reports the Post.
That seemingly has something to do with Trump's initial response to the pandemic, which was criticized as too casual. As a result, "Republicans have consistently been much less concerned about the coronavirus than Democrats," writes the Post. However, it's worth noting that, political views aside, two of the states with the highest number of searches — Washington and New York — have the largest counts of confirmed COVID-19 cases.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Either way, the Post reports that Trump-supporting states are starting to catch up with their left-leaning counterparts on Google in the last week as the virus has established itself in 49 states, with search rates jumping in both red states and purple states. Blue states remained pretty consistent.
That doesn't necessarily mean everyone's equally concerned, though — an NBC News poll released Sunday shows Republicans still tend to be less worried about the virus than Democrats — nor do Google trends reveal exactly where those searches are leading. Read more at The Washington Post.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
October 5 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons include half-truth hucksters, Capitol lockdown, and more
-
Jaguar Land Rover’s cyber bailout
Talking Point Should the government do more to protect business from the ‘cyber shockwave’?
-
Russia: already at war with Europe?
Talking Point As Kremlin begins ‘cranking up attacks’ on Ukraine’s European allies, questions about future action remain unanswered
-
Russia: already at war with Europe?
Talking Point As Kremlin begins ‘cranking up attacks’ on Ukraine’s European allies, questions about future action remain unanswered
-
Museum head ousted after Trump sword gift denial
Speed Read Todd Arrington, who led the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, denied the Trump administration a sword from the collection as a gift for King Charles
-
Trump declares ‘armed conflict’ with drug cartels
speed read This provides a legal justification for recent lethal military strikes on three alleged drug trafficking boats
-
Supreme Court rules for Fed’s Cook in Trump feud
Speed Read Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook can remain in her role following Trump’s attempts to oust her
-
‘This isn’t just semantics’
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Miami Freedom Tower’s MAGA library squeeze
THE EXPLAINER Plans to place Donald Trump’s presidential library next to an iconic symbol of Florida’s Cuban immigrant community has South Florida divided
-
Judge rules Trump illegally targeted Gaza protesters
Speed Read The Trump administration’s push to arrest and deport international students for supporting Palestine is deemed illegal
-
Trump: US cities should be military ‘training grounds’
Speed Read In a hastily assembled summit, Trump said he wants the military to fight the ‘enemy within’ the US