Will politicians be blamed for Covid-19?

US President Donald Trump (left) and Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden squaring off during their first presidential debate on Sept 29. Research shows that voters are unlikely to be influenced by their government's handling of the pandemic come the next election. Photo: AFP

Politicians are unlikely to be punished or rewarded for their failures or successes in managing the Covid-19 pandemic at the next election, suggests an analysis of survey data from the United States, the United Kingdom and India.

This is despite the fact that most survey participants think health is a key policy area and that their government is to blame for the spread of Covid-19, shows the study.