‘Were They Hacked?’: NBC Mocked for Saying Experts Are ‘Puzzling’ Over Why COVID Death Rates Higher for Republicans

“Covid deaths are unevenly distributed among Republicans and Democrats, but experts are still puzzling over why these differences exist,” tweeted NBC Politics, part of NBC News, on Thursday, with their article claiming the “reason is up for debate.”

Covid deaths are unevenly distributed among Republicans and Democrats, but experts are still puzzling over why these differences exist. https://t.co/9y7tnT294C

— NBC Politics (@NBCPolitics) October 6, 2022

“Lower vaccination rates among Republicans could explain the partisan gap, but some researchers say mask use and social distancing were bigger factors,” the article states.

The NBC News report adds that once vaccines were widely available in the U.S. (thanks to President Biden, although it does not make that claim,) “the partisan gap in the deaths widened between April and December 2021, after all adults became eligible for Covid vaccines.”

“Excess death rates in Florida and Ohio were 153% higher among Republicans than Democrats during that time,” the report reveals.

“Average excess death rates in Florida and Ohio were 76% higher among Republicans than Democrats between March 2020 and December 2021, according to a working paper released last month by the National Bureau of Economic Research,” the article notes, adding: “A study in June published in Health Affairs similarly found that counties with a Republican majority had a greater share of Covid deaths through October 2021, relative to majority-Democratic counties.”

The easy answer is getting vaccinated and boosted is critical to reducing COVID deaths, as is social distancing.

It’s so easy that NBC is being mocked for appearing to try to create some clickable mystery around the reports.

Healthcare policy data analyst Charles Gaba offered some insight, and commentary.

Yeah, it’s a real fuckin’ head-scratcher.https://t.co/j35mpk4YVX https://t.co/wIxBU0VEhb pic.twitter.com/mHNPyD7xd7

— Charles Ghoul-ba 🎃 (@charles_gaba) October 6, 2022

“Why yes this is totally puzzling if you ignore every single thing we know about infectious disease prevention,” tweeted public relations and political strategist Cliff Schecter.

“If those people are still ‘puzzling,’ they’re probably not actually experts,” snarked Miranda Yaver, PhD, a political science professor at Wheaton whose work includes public policy and health policy.

David Simon, the well-known author, journalist, screenwriter, and producer offered this colorful response: “Masks, social distancing, vaccinations: Debate how much of each factors into the carnage, but know that in all respects, the Republic National Committee deserves the Darwin Award for a pile of unnecessary dead. You shitbirds politicized a public health crisis and killed your own.”

“I’m just spitballing here but it might be because one of the parties has become an anti-science conspiracy theory cult perpetually undermining public health messaging,” responded freelance reporter Karl Bode.

“Good grief,” snarked Jim Wright, a retired US military intelligence officer and freelance writer. “Did NBC actually write that tweet or were they hacked?”

Mathematician Keith Devlin offered his scientific analysis: “Experts are NOT puzzling over this. I’m a Ph.D. credentialed expert in logical thought. The @GOP leadership TOLD their voters not to protect themselves, and Republican voters tend heavily towards the gullible end of the spectrum (because you have to be gullible to vote GOP).”

Author Patrick S. Tomlinson served up this descriptive response: “Are they? Are they ‘puzzling’ over the differences between people who believed in science, wore masks, got vaccinated, and those who had sweaty ‘Owning the Libs’ orgies in every suburban Red Lobster and Texas Roadhouse during a global pandemic?”