As the coronavirus recedes there are some pockets of outbreaks in the Southern and Midwestern states, The Hill reported.
Political consultants like Dick Morris have argued most of the coronavirus pandemic has hit the Democratic blue areas of the political map, but Trump country is seeing some uptick in cases now, too, according to analysis by Brookings Institution demographer William Frey.
The analysis notes 176 U.S. counties are seeing increasing spread of the virus and 159 of those are smaller exurban and rural counties – ones more red-leading and favorable to President Donald Trump, per the report.
The areas are centered around the large cities where the outbreak had been most prevalent.
Among them are, Frey noted:
- Collin County, Texas, in the Dallas metroplex.
- Wake County, North Carolina.
- Areas around Minneapolis, Milwaukee, and Columbus, Ohio.
"The U.S. is very large and diverse in terms of population density and movement," according to George Mason University epidemiologist Amira Roess. "This is partially why we are seeing different experiences across the country.
"In general, we are continuing to see outbreaks in less urban areas in the U.S."
In the counties where the virus is now spreading widely, Trump was favored by a margin of 12% over Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election, according to Frey.
"There is a clear trend in the works among counties now experiencing a high COVID-19 prevalence for the first time," Frey wrote. "Compared to the counties where the pandemic first hit, these look much more like the rest of America, and in particular, reflect the kinds of areas that carried President Trump to victory in 2016."