Diagnoses, Opinion and Flags

What happened to public opinion after the Prime Minister’s test result?

In a popular post on Twitter, The Observer writer Carole Cadwalladr claimed:

the net effect of our prime minister catching COVID-19 was that it prompted a surge of patriotic support.

Opinion polling does not substantiate this belief. The balance of favourable views appeared to fall after the Prime Minister’s test result. In some polls, the PM’s hospital stay may have induced a temporary rise in his personal approval.

A “surge” of support?

Following the US President’s positive test result for SARS-CoV-2, Carole Cadwalladr asserted:

A reminder to all Americans that the net effect of our prime minister catching COVID-19 was that it prompted a surge of patriotic support. From which he emerged with renewed popularity. Which enabled him to tear up key functions of the state

Over 44,000 users shared this claim. This article will look at government and personal approval measures from some companies.

In the UK, numerous major events happened in quick succession: