How Partisanship Affected Public Reaction to Potential Treatments for COVID-19

Abstract

President Trump mentioned the potential antiviral benefits of hydroxychloroquine as the COVID-19 crisis became evident in the United States. Politics and mass media in the United States have been undergoing a process of partisan polarization over the last 20–30 years. While partisanship has long affected reactions toward news or information, particularly when it comes from an elected official, the situation appears to be worsening in American politics. Even a search for potential cures or useful medication in the face of a public health crisis is hampered by partisanship and polarization.