We all know that more thoroughly and frequently washing our hands is among the most effective measures we can take to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Hand-washing also happens to be relatively costless and generally beneficial. Yet polling from Reuters/Ipsos in the first week of March showed that in the US, more than half of Republicans had not altered their hygienic routines in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. By contrast, most Democrats had altered their habits and were twice as likely as Republicans to regard the virus as a threat.

In the US, more than half of Republicans had not altered their hygienic routines in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.