Nearly A Third Of Americans Believe Covid-19 Death Toll Conspiracy Theory
Those same third of Americans are Trump voters...
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Even as cases of Covid-19 and hospitalizations surge across the U.S.—and public trust in what President Donald Trump says about the virus falls—a growing number of Americans are buying into a narrative pushed by conservative media and disputed by health experts that suggests the official death count from the coronavirus is inflated, an Axios/Ipsos poll released Tuesday found.
31% of Americans believe that the Covid-19 death toll is less than officially reported—up from 23% in early May. The number of Americans who believe the death toll is inflated is highest among those who get their news from Fox News (61%) and Republicans (59%), while only 9% of Democrats and 7% of those getting their news from CNN and MSNBC believe the same.
The idea that the official coronavirus death toll has been inflated has been pushed most heavily by conservative media—which argue that Democrats are inflating the number to weaponize the death count against Trump—and Axios reported in May that Trump and some of his aides also believe the theory.
A study published July 1 by Virginia Commonwealth University and Yale University researchers in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that coronavirus deaths are actually undercounted, reflecting a commonview held by public health experts and epidemiologists.
The Axios/Ipsos poll also found that respondents are losing trust in the government's coronavirus response: Trust in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state governments both dropped by 15% from April (to 70% and 57%, respectively), while only 35% of Americans trust the federal government and 31% trust the White House.
Respondents blame their fellow Americans for worsening the pandemic, with 74% of Americans believing their fellow citizens are "behaving in ways that are making the country's recovery from the pandemic somewhat or much worse."
Crucial Quote
"We live in highly tribal and partisan times, and people are more likely to believe cues and signals from their political leaders than the scientists or the experts," Cliff Young, president of Ipsos U.S. Public Affairs, told Axios. "People can see the world around them, they know it's different, but they still can think that the media and politicos are using it to go after Trump."
Big Number
140,157: The reported number of Covid-19 deaths in the U.S. as of July 20, as reported by the CDC.
Key Background
The growing belief that the death toll is inflated comes as Trump and his allies have attempted to discredit and attack public health experts, particularly infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci. The White House has tried to undermine Fauci after the public health expert publicly warned the current pandemic situation was worse than the Trump administration was acknowledging, and Trump was criticized for sharing a tweet suggesting the CDC was "lying." But while the Axios/Ipsos poll shows that the White House and conservative media's messaging is landing with some Americans, a majority of the country still trusts public health experts like Fauci over the president. A Quinnipiac poll released last week found that 65% of Americans trusted information about the pandemic coming from Fauci, as compared with 67% who distrust information coming from Trump. Approval for the president's response to the coronavirus pandemic has also reached an all-time low as cases have exploded, with the Quinnipiac poll finding 62% disapprove of his coronavirus response.
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Yes, and the same third of Americans who vote gop...
The cacaphonous minority...
Doesn't the same percentage of Americans (if not higher) also believe in creationism over evolution? With this level of national stupid, our country is doomed.
Per Gallup :
It is amazing, is it not, that 40% of the USA (per this poll) are Young Earth Creationists.
22% appear to accept the science based on the evidence thus far.
33% accept the science but sneak God in there as the invisible hand (which is not such a problem IMO).
IMO, the problem is willful ignorance in both the point raised by the seed and your point.
Not amazing. Just plain sad.
Also sad that so few accept science based on evidence.
But still problematic though.
Willful ignorance, coupled with religious indoctrination/delusion, and an apparent hostility towards science and/or critical thinking in general.
I hold no contempt for people who hold religious beliefs. Challenging claims of certainty coming from mere acceptance of truth from a human authority is very different from holding contempt for people with religious beliefs.
Having explained this to you in particular many times, why is it that you continue to make these claims?
I do have contempt for intellectual dishonesty.
And your post is totally meta and accusatory.
No it isn't! And also not for you to decide.
I think he's trying to have me censored.
On mine too.
Alternatively, considering the extreme politicization of MSM, no one who isn't a fanatic of either side feel they can't trust anything any news outlet puts out. In my opinion, no politician can resist letting a disaster go to waste. Again, in my opinion, if one thinks the MSM is reporting factual statistics in this current environment, well, I guess they get what they deserve. Unfortunately, so do the rest of us.
The MSM is not to be trusted. The question, it seems, is which source do people think is doing the conspiring?
I am interested in those who think the medical professionals or entities such as the CDC are conspiring to inflate the numbers. If someone thinks this is largely the result of MSM spin then my comment would be: 'it is certainly possible; try to do your own research instead of relying upon MSM talking heads'.
All of them, in my opinion. Left worse than the right, but still, all of them.
Um, yeah. That really amounts to shopping around for whatever medical professional is saying what one wants to hear.
My position is that the death rate is likely overinflated. But, that's just my opinion based on observation of political machinations. What's so frustrating is that the average person has no reliable metric by which to make an informed opinion beyond that. The real world application is that I'm afraid to spend time with my parents in person.
That is not what I meant by source. I was not asking which MSM source is doing the conspiring; I was suggesting that the MSM is one source of 'information' but there exist other sources. For example, does an individual think that medical professionals are conspiring to inflate the COVID-19 deaths? Is that the operative source of the conspiracy? Is there another source that is ostensibly behind it?
Only if one is lazy. Research need not stop at the opining of an authority. In fact, it should not stop there. We all have the ability to dig deeper. If an authority claims, for example, that masks should be worn then one can dig to see why. One can find out the efficacy of masks based on past experiences with viruses. One can research the nature of the particulate matter and how well that can be caught by a mask. One can observe ongoing research (there are multiple sources) and come to an educated opinion. Then, given that, one can gauge the credibility of the talking heads.
Possibly. What evidence leads you to that hypothesis?
I am not following. What is the actual evidence? Body language, changes in policy, ...?
If you have no symptoms, have been careful to avoid contact with others, wear a mask, avoid contact, etc. there is likely no good reason to not spend time with your parents. My 92 year old father-in-law lives with us. We necessarily leave our home and interact with society. We do so wisely, but there is no possible way to guarantee that when we return we are free of the virus. All the precautions in the world (short of body suits and sterilization mechanisms) cannot guarantee we are clean.
What we can do, however, in addition to the precautions, is understand the infection rate in our local areas. If we are in a hot bed of infection then it makes good sense to avoid more vulnerable people like aging parents. If the infection rate is tiny in one's area, one makes a judgment call. Which is worse for your parents ... never to see you or have a tiny risk that you could be the one to finally infect them?
That same third are probably flat earthers and anti vaxers, not all but a lot of them.
I wouldn't be surprised.
The shame is that I think you are correct in the assertion. I don't know that I believe there is a conspiracy. I have several friends in the medical field that have relayed some stories that make you scratch your head though. If true, those would suggest that the numbers are inflated. If true! The only truth I know is that I am really unable to confirm anything, whether it comes by the media or by friend.
I think I'm safe in assuming that a majority of people have no interest in doing their own research, which is why the media is so effective. For the minority that is willing...where in the world does one get reliable information from?
I agree. It is so much easier to simply accept truth from a 'trusted source' than do the hard work of researching and thinking for oneself.
And I do not think the MSM outlets engage in conspiracy ... they are simply acting per their respective natures.
Don't forget - about 25% believed that Obama was the antichrist.
10% think the moon landing was faked.
(Ok - about the moon landing. I had just invented moonwalk punch - part vodka, part 151 rum, part gin (to deodorize the rum) and Hawaiian Punch concentrate. We were watching the landing on TV - then things got a bit blurry. I think the landing was real - if you think it was real I'll go along with it.)
I still think he said "A small step for a man", and that the "a" got static-blurred. I makes so much more sense to me because when the word "man" is used in the sentence "A small step for "man"", it has the same meaning as "mankind" so why would he have been repetitive, saying "A small step for man, a giant leap for mankind" since he was the one man taking that small step?
Wasn't it about 30% of Republicans that felt President Obama handled the 9/11 crisis badly?
I would have been one to say the numbers are overinflated. Many states are having the same problem we had here where they were counting those that died with covid as those that died from covid. We know that the numbers were inflated here.
The problem is, people with preexisting conditions like heart or lung issue have a higher chance of dying from Covid. Covid might be what pushes them over the edge. So it still contributes to the cause of death.
Not necessarily. What do you mean by contributes?
We do know for certain that certain political opportunists, the left wing media, and people like Fausi want to grow the numbers as a scare tactic.
Trying to cast all the blame onto Trump has led a large percentage of the population to not trust the information they receive from the media and those aforementioned politicians.
What have we told you about posting supporting links to be taken seriously Dean.
I was quite clear in my post about covid contributing to a higher mortality rate in those with comorbidities. The rest of your post doesn't address anything I said and seems to be veering off topic
I agree. [Deleted]
And just where do you get your up to date information Dean...? Inquiring minds want to know.
You've called me Dean twice.
Please Dean-- just chill out a bit! (And accept the fact that there will be opinions online that don't always agree with your own... C'est la vie!)
It really doesn't matter what you call them, they're all clones to Trumpism - admit no fault.
Please feel free to post the information again from a non-propaganda laced source Dean....
I live in Denver and Fox 31 has turned as far left as the rest of them....so it would be left wing propaganda
Well I can tell you this-- "many people" are saying that Fox News has turned Socialist!
And YUGELY so!
(That I can tell you)
Good idea!
What the heck-- I'm a very chill sorta guy-- so if Dean finally decides to post something from a truly objective source, I'd be willing to consider it!
(But not from Fox News, because as many people have said-- Fox News has become a Socialist, Fake News front for the worst sort of Commie Pinko agitators! )
Don't believe me?
Well not only Fox, but also the whole kit and kaboodle-- has now gone over to the left-- the far, far left! Not only his Fox Puppetmeisters-- but our fearless leader-- our so-called "Commander-in-Chief as well!
Here's proof beyond any doubt (reasonable or otherwise!)
And that ain't just whistling Dixie!
(So Dean-- How do you like that Hill of Beans?)
Ok here they are.
I know it...that's why I quit watching local news. Marty Coniglio just got fired for comparing Trump supporters to Nazi's in a tweet.
And yes....Fox Network and its local affiliates have taken a very noticeable leftward slant in the last few months.
So, if you were driving down I-25 and every car in front of you was driving directly at you, your first and only thought would be that everyone else was driving down the wrong side of the highway???
Is this what so many Americans have become?
But go ahead and open the schools, cause kids can't get very sick from the Trump virus.
Well.....there is a slight chance they can get very sick, and might actually walk on. But, what the hey, if the parents are young enough they can always make another baby to take the place of any that don't make it. <sarc>
No one has said that.
I did. Most normal people would have realized it was SARCASM.
I guess the grieving friends and family of the LEO and the fire fighter here who both died the other day can take solace in the fact that their loved ones died from a conspiracy theory and not CV 19.
Well, just came across a Facebook post from the mother of a girl my son used to date. According to her, we mask wearers are all sheep, and she's praying for the Apocalypse to happen because she can't have her children growing up in such a corrupt world where people wear masks. I mean, the horror, right? People trying not to spread a potentially fatal disease (or, in some cases, wearing masks while they mow, which couldn't have anything to do with pollen) - I mean, how much more evil could we be?
She's in home health care.
Your son dodged a bullet there.
I just told him the same thing.
That is both scary and sad. On the surface, this woman seems to have some serious psychological issues.
She does, in addition to some substance abuse issues.
Like Pat said, bullet dodged.
The picture is becoming clearer now.
But there were several people commenting in agreement, which I find equally scary. This is the mindset we're up against. There really are people out there who adamantly oppose masks on the basis of their religion. Not sure where they find that particular Bible verse.
That's the beauty of religion: one can "interpret" it any way they want (or just makes $#!t up) to justify doing whatever they want. It's stupid, selfish, and inconsiderate, plain and simple!
I'm really, really hoping she puts aside her personal beliefs and follows guidelines when performing her job
Me, too. If her clients are old and/or frail enough to need home health services, they're at risk.
I would hope not.
When my hairdresser reopened, and I was getting my hair done, she told me about another client whose father had a home health aide. The family noticed that she wasn't wearing a mask, and called her out. Another client whose house she had visited the same day turned out to be positive for Covid, and she hadn't worn a mask there, either, so they had a few tense days waiting for test results. I'm not quick to fire people, but she'd have been out on her ass for that.
Agreed.
Tessy said nothing of the kind.
Were you even paying attention to what Tess said? Or did you simply not understand?
Point out where either of us said we think she should be fired over her beliefs. Quotes, please, not your erroneous interpretation.
Indeed. Not only is not wearing a mask unprofessional, reckless, and irresponsible (which is not limited to just health care personnel), especially during these times, but she is potentially putting her patients at risk.
She might not have any patients either as she is putting them in danger.