Ever since protests began following the police murder of George Floyd, the conservative media has been eager to blame rising cases of COVID-19 on protesters. That has required overlooking a number of issues, primarily an utter disconnect between the primary sites of protests and the areas where the pandemic is now staging a massive comeback. But Fox News and its many friends have never been daunted by facts. However, as NPR reports, protests don’t appear to be associated with clusters of COVID-19. That’s because protesters in most areas wore masks, even during prolonged outdoor events in the heat of the day. Meanwhile other, less political activities—like house parties—were tied to new clusters of cases in Washington state, and reopening with a disregard for guidelines, social distancing, and mask mandates is driving up cases in multiple states. 

But there is a political factor that’s increasing both the reach and the deadliness of the pandemic. Because studies are now showing how right-wing media, including Fox News, […]