Jan 01–Feb 23
Watching from afar
From wondering whether there would be a global outbreak to conspiracy theories, to debates over protective measures, people in the U.S. were still trying to figure out how to react, what to believe, and working hard to separate fact from fiction. Most conversation centered around news updates of the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, as well as the Chinese government's response. Mentions also call for aid and solidarity efforts.
Extra stuff we found interesting
used 2x
more than
normal
used 2x
more than
normal
used 50x
more than
normal
used 2.4x
more than
normal
Jan 01–Feb 23
Conversation spread, emotions were mixed
As of Feb 23, there were only 15 reported cases in the US, but the conversation had spread all over. We witnessed a fluctuation in different emotions across the country. Fear dominated at 4.2x the rate of normal expression, while positive emotions like love and joy were only 20% of normal levels.
Feb 24–Mar 08
From concern to anger
As news of the coronavirus hitting other parts of the world spread, the majority expressed that the U.S. government wasn't doing enough, many were upset about disrupted life plans, and others were mad that everyone else was overreacting.
A global look
Non-U.S. flag emoji use was up 1000% as we talked about where the virus was spreading.
 | 37 cases | 14,232 mentions |
 | 200 cases | 14,278 mentions |
 | 23 cases | 14,415 mentions |
 | 104 cases | 14,506 mentions |
 | 73 cases | 14,817 mentions |
 | 337 cases | 14,871 mentions |
 | 203 cases | 14,871 mentions |
 | 176 cases | 15,190 mentions |
| 80,823 cases | 15,418 mentions |
 | 64 cases | 15,464 mentions |
 | 274 cases | 15,601 mentions |
 | 1,040 cases | 16,011 mentions |
 | 502 cases | 16,468 mentions |
 | 673 cases | 16,650 mentions |
 | 1,136 cases | 17,608 mentions |
Feb 24–Mar 08
More cases spread anger
As more COVID-19 cases reached our shores the nation was filled with anger. We reacted to our government's response, the healthcare system, and the availability of PPE. We were also pissed at the virus itself.
Mar 08–Mar 12
No laughing matter
Though the Twittersphere never stops LOLing, the coronavirus conversation hit its least funny point, with laughter expressed 80% less than usual.
But thanks in part to the boom in popularity of TikTok, some of us still found clever ways to laugh, and some even took their last chances at a little action before the lockdown.
Shy on the sly
Mar 08–Mar 12
When reality hit, fear dominated
By March 8th, with more states going into lockdown, we reacted to losing jobs, closing businesses, and life put on pause. There were 1500 reported infected, but COVID had affected us all.
Mar 23–May 01
Adapting to the new normal
In a time of social distancing, 2020 has seen us turn to social media and other technology to celebrate together.
Oh also remember this?
Trump’s comment about disinfectant garnered these increases in reactions from Americans on Twitter:
114x
98x
30x
15x
5x
2.6x
Mar 23–May 01
But everyone's experience was different
While expressions of positivity were becoming the dominant emotion across the country, a look at different cities tells a more nuanced story. The most impacted cities reacted 5% angrier and 6% sadder, while the least impacted expressed 8% more love and gratitude.
Jun 07–Jun 30
A SecondWave
As cases resurged, the debates continued. While a passionate few spoke out against wearing masks and advocated for reopening, the anti-maskers lost the debate by a landslide on Twitter.
To mask or not to mask
Do people really care about wearing masks? Just look at the COVID-related hashtags! Pro-mask hashtags were used 133k times in June, including #wearadamnmask, while #maskoff was used just 12k times.
Jun 07–Jun 30
A resurgence fueled our anger
Conversation increased along with new cases in new areas, with total conversations per day doubling from Jun 7 to Jun 30. This time we were less afraid; more angry and sad. Sadness hit its highest intensity so far, and anger was at its highest since before lockdown, especially in new areas now hit the hardest.