Bolsonaro's downplaying of the pandemic may have contributed to the increase in deaths among his voters, a study shows.
Bolsonaro's denialist statements about the coronavirus epidemic may have contributed to the deaths of his voters. After his declarations calling for an end to quarantine, isolation measures decreased, and there were proportionally more deaths in cities that are strongholds of Bolsonaro's supporters.
247 Bolsonaro was more lethal to his own voters than to his opponents. On almost every occasion when the former captain downplayed the pandemic, the rate of social isolation in Brazil fell - and more people died in the municipalities that voted most heavily for Bolsonaro in 2018.
A report from the Folha de S. Paulo newspaper. The study states its origin: “The conclusion comes from the study “Ideology, isolation and death: an analysis of the effects of Bolsonarism on the Covid-19 pandemic”, by four researchers from the Federal University of ABC (UFABC), the Getúlio Vargas Foundation and the University of São Paulo.”
The article further adds that "the study argues that the president's vote in the first round, by municipality, has a negative correlation with the isolation rate; and a positive correlation with deaths from Covid-19. In short, where Bolsonaro received more votes, isolation has been lower—and the number of deaths, higher."