Numerous polls suggest that COVID-19 is a profoundly partisan issue in the United States. Using the geotracking data of 15 million smartphones per day, we found that US counties that voted for Donald Trump (Republican) over Hillary Clinton (Democrat) in the 2016 presidential election exhibited 14% less physical distancing between March and May 2020. Partisanship was more strongly associated with physical distancing than numerous other factors, including counties' COVID-19 cases, population density, median income, and racial and age demographics. Contrary to our predictions, the observed partisan gap strengthened over time and remained when stay-at-home orders were active. Additionally, county-level consumption of conservative media (Fox News) was related to reduced physical distancing. Finally, the observed partisan differences in distancing were associated with subsequently higher COVID-19 infection and fatality growth rates in pro-Trump counties. Taken together, these data suggest that US citizens' responses to COVID-19 are subject to a deep-and consequential-partisan divide.

Few things bind disparate groups together like a common challenge. Yet, numerous polls suggest that the current COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. is subject to a partisan divide. Using the geotracking data of 15 million smartphones per day, we show that counties that voted for Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton in 2016 exhibited 14% less physical distancing between March and May, 2020. Partisanship was a stronger predictor of physical distancing than numerous other factors, including counties’ median income, COVID-19 cases, and racial and age make-up. Contrary to our predictions, this finding strengthened over time and remained when stay-at-home orders were active. Additionally, counties’ consumption of conservative media (Fox News) predicted reduced physical distancing. Finally, reduced physical distancing in pro-Trump counties was associated with subsequently higher COVID-19 infection and fatality growth rates. Taken together, these data suggest that U.S. responses towards COVID-19 are subject to a deep partisan divide.

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Absence seizures (AS), presenting as short losses of consciousness with staring spells, are a common manifestation of childhood epilepsy that is associated with behavioral, emotional, and social impairments. It has also been suggested that patients with AS are more likely to suffer from mood disorders such as depression and anxiety. This systematic review and meta-analysis synthesizes human and animal models that investigated mood disorders and AS. Of the 1019 scientific publications identified, 35 articles met the inclusion criteria for this review. We found that patients with AS had greater odds of developing depression and anxiety when compared to controls (odds ratio = 4.93, 95% confidence interval = 2.91-8.35, p < .01). The included studies further suggest a strong correlation between AS and depression and anxiety in the form of a bidirectional relationship. The current literature emphasizes that these conditions likely share underlying mechanisms, such as genetic predisposition, neurophysiology, and anatomical pathways. Further research will clarify this relationship and ensure more effective treatment for AS and mood disorders.