 A clear political divide formed early in the pandemic as Americans heard different messages from politicians of different parties. Survey data from Pew Research and other sources shows how. For example, about half of Republicans saw COVID-19 as a serious public health threat in April, but that fell slightly in the following months. On the other hand, more Democrats saw the pandemic as a serious threat early on and those feelings have increased over time. The same is true for hospitalizations and concern over spreading COVID-19 to others. Democrats' concerns started higher than Republicans and went up, even as Republicans' concerns declined. Wearing masks has become a political statement for some, too. Most Democrats say masks should be worn all the time. Far fewer Republicans say they must be worn all the time, but around half of the Republicans polled say they should be worn at least most of the time. Another poll showed 57% of Republicans thought that the death toll from COVID-19 as of August 19th was acceptable, as opposed to only 10% of Democrats. Sociologist Matthew Fasiani of Vanderbilt University says these different opinions on the pandemic based on political affiliation fit a pattern. Both Democrats and Republicans interpret the same information very differently depending on whether it is favorable or unfavorable toward their political group.