These divergent narratives underscore just how far apart Americans overall have become in their interpretation of the pandemic—and the idea that people are increasingly rejecting reality for their own preferred set of facts. As an Oct. 8 poll of 9,220 Americans conducted by the Pew Research Center between Aug. 31 and Sept. 7 by reveals, Democrats and Republicans are sharply divided on how well the U.S. has done in fighting COVID-19. They’re also split on whether the outbreak was as big of a deal as it has been made out to be.