From its ostensible origins in Wuhan, China, in late 2019, COVID-19 has spread across the globe. There are now a staggering 11.5 million cases worldwide, resulting in over half a million deaths. March saw the pandemic’s beginnings in Canada and the United States, followed by widespread lockdowns meant to slow the progression of the virus.
While the number of new daily cases in Canada is declining, U.S. cases have reached record highs. The U.S. represents four per cent of the world’s population, but accounts for one-quarter of COVID-19 cases and deaths. As of July 8, 2020, there were 9,051 cases per million people in the U.S. compared to 2,812 cases per million in Canada. These statistics point to a substantial difference in community spread in the two countries.
Twitter provides an online record of political leaders’ policies and personal sentiments. Both Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and U.S. President Donald Trump often tweet to large numbers of followers. The @realDonaldTrump Twitter account has 82.7 million followers with more than 20,000 tweets during Trump’s presidency. The account @JustinTrudeau has five million followers and has tweeted 18,000 times since Trudeau became prime minister.
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Source: Facts or fake news: Revealing patterns in the COVID-19 tweets of Trudeau and Trump