Over the past year, the conversations surrounding masks, vaccines, and other COVID-related restrictions have been at the forefront of public discourse. Between December 18th, 2020 and December 17th, 2021, there were more than 370 million mentions of vaccine- and mask-related terms on Twitter.
Ideas about the government’s role in managing the pandemic have divided us; people on the left generally favor mask and vaccine mandates to ensure the safety of the community, while people on the right generally support the individual’s right to determine what is best for them and their community.
The bottom line: Divisions around COVID-19 policy stem from differences in opinion about risks associated with COVID-19, risks associated with the vaccine, and the role the government should play in developing and/or enforcing public health policies.