Trump counties have far lower vaxx rates and far higher death rates than Biden counties

[Joe Republic]

Yes, I know, shocking and totally unexpected information.  But the stats are still pretty jarring.

Since May 2021, people living in counties that voted heavily for Donald Trump during the last presidential election have been nearly three times as likely to die from COVID-19 as those who live in areas that went for now-President Biden. That's according to a new analysis by NPR that examines how political polarization and misinformation are driving a significant share of the deaths in the pandemic.

NPR looked at deaths per 100,000 people in roughly 3,000 counties across the U.S. from May 2021, the point at which vaccinations widely became available. People living in counties that went 60% or higher for Trump in November 2020 had 2.7 times the death rates of those that went for Biden. Counties with an even higher share of the vote for Trump saw higher COVID-19 mortality rates.

In October, the reddest tenth of the country saw death rates that were six times higher than the bluest tenth, according to Charles Gaba, an independent health care analyst who's been tracking partisanship trends during the pandemic and helped to review NPR's methodology. Those numbers have dropped slightly in recent weeks, Gaba says: "It's back down to around 5.5 times higher."

The trend was robust, even when controlling for age, which is the primary demographic risk of COVID-19 mortality. The data also reveal a major contributing factor to the death rate difference: The higher the vote share for Trump, the lower the vaccination rate.

…

"An unvaccinated person is three times as likely to lean Republican as they are to lean Democrat," says Liz Hamel, vice president of public opinion and survey research at the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan health policy think tank that tracks attitudes toward vaccination. Political affiliation is now the strongest indicator of whether someone is vaccinated, she says: "If I wanted to guess if somebody was vaccinated or not and I could only know one thing about them, I would probably ask what their party affiliation is."

[DavidB.]

Freedom isn't free.

[certified hummus supporter 🇵🇸🤝🇺🇸🤝🇺🇦]

Freedom isn't free.

Claims to be "free"

Dies anyways

[DavidB.]

Dies anyways

We all will, eventually.

[Inmate Trump]

This isn't good news.  I just wish more people had worn masks, gotten vaxxed when they had the chance.

[Sir Mohamed]

In other words: Water is wet.

[afleitch]

Step 1. Anti Vax, anti mask memes on Facebook
Step 2. I'm not feeling well.
Step 3. 'Prayer warriors do your thing'
Step 4. Dead.
Step 5. Family GoFundMe

Rinse and repeat.

[Del Tachi]

This isn't good news.  I just wish more people had worn masks, gotten vaxxed when they had the chance.

They still do have the chance?

That’s the great thing about death.  You’re either dead or you’re not, and we’re not!  lol

[Inmate Trump]

This isn't good news.  I just wish more people had worn masks, gotten vaxxed when they had the chance.

They still do have the chance?

That’s the great thing about death.  You’re either dead or you’re not, and we’re not!  lol

I was referring to those who've needlessly perished so far.

Yes, Republicans still have a chance.  But if they haven't taken it thus far, what are the chances they will now?

[Hermit For Peace]

Freedom isn't free.

Claims to be "free"

Dies anyways

Free to die.

[Mopsus]

I wonder what would happen to the disparity in death rates if you controlled for age.

[Joe Republic]

I wonder what would happen to the disparity in death rates if you controlled for age.

Fourth paragraph of the OP

[compucomp]

The crazy part about this is that if we took US counties and did a linear regression of COVID death rate versus population density, the slope would almost certainly be negative. With a combination of stupidity and blind allegiance to Trumpism these counties have completely squandered their natural advantage when it comes to curbing the pandemic.

[Obama-Biden Democrat]

Thoughts and prayers. The Trump death cult is still going strong.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

Freedom isn't free.

Claims to be "free"

Dies anyways

Free to die.

Hasn't that been the basis for GOP healthcare for decades?

[Lief 🗽]

I wonder if I’d ever kill myself to own the cons. Probably not but tribalism is really something sometimes.

[SevenEleven]

I wonder what would happen to the disparity in death rates if you controlled for age.

Fourth paragraph of the OP

How dare you expect me to read.

[DINGO Joe]

Trump should have a warning label tattooed on him like they have for cigarettes--"Warning! supporting Trump greatly increases your chances of death and prison time"

I was looking at how much "Whiter" deaths have gotten as the pandemic has progressed.  In 2020 Whites made up 60% of the deaths.  This year it's 65% and with incomplete data it's running at 77% for November.