Opinion: Covid-19 deaths in the United States: Reinforcing the notion of ‘two Americas’

STAT May 12, 2022
Michael A. Stoto and Samantha Schlageter and John Kraemer

The notion of Covid-19 causing two Americas was on many minds in the summer of 2021. The Washington Post and LA Times both wrote about it; Dr. Anthony Fauci mentioned it in an interview. One America had high demand for Covid-19 vaccines, the other had widespread vaccine hesitancy and opposition to mask and vaccine mandates.

This narrative helped shape the understanding of what happened as well as what the country should be doing now to control the pandemic.

But Covid has been dividing the nation since the start of the pandemic. Our recent analysis of Covid-19 deaths by region, published in PLoS One, supports the two Americas idea.

While some regard vaccination and other measures as a matter of personal...

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