Analysis: Shifting Covid attitudes lead to political changes

Shifting Covid attitudes lead to political changes Almost two years into the pandemic, the nation feels as though it has turned a corner on the virus, and there may be political ramifications to all the changes. NBC News

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Almost two years into the pandemic, the nation feels as though it has turned a corner on the virus, at least in terms of the attitudes around it. And there may be political ramifications to all the changes.

It's hard to fully grasp how different the numbers are today compared to mid-January, but the data show that the omicron variant followed the predicted pattern — a massive spike followed by a sudden drop.

To be clear, the pandemic isn't over. The Feb. 15 number is still higher than the seven-day average for all of October and November — and higher than the case rate for the same date in 2021. But the sharp downward trend is impossible to ignore, and a drop is apparent in Covid deaths, as well.

Covid deaths tend to be a lagging indicator — people get sick before they die — so their peak came later, but comparing Feb. 1 to Feb. 15 shows a marked decline.

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Democrats are still more likely to perceive "a severe health risk" than Republicans, but the mid-February figure, 32 percent, is 14 points lower than the mid-January figure of 46 percent. Among Republicans, the current "severe health risk" figure is 14 percent, compared to 23 percent in mid-January, a 9-point decline.

Finding agreement between Democrats and Republicans is rare — and Covid has produced some sharp partisan divides — so when you see moves like that, you are likely to see action. Over the past month, mask mandates have begun to come down, and not just in Republican territory. ...ANALT