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

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.