I posted this chart some time ago which details state-by-state Covid mortality during the three months of the Omicron surge (December 15, 2021-March 23, 2022). While red states had slightly higher rates (+2%) when compared to the national average, those in blue states were quite a bit lower (-18%), possibly due to their more restrictive approaches. What I find puzzling is that purple states had the highest mortality rates(+18%). For purposes of this study blue states were those who voted for Democratic presidential candidates in all six of the most recent presidential elections, red states did the same for Republican candidates, while those who broke either pattern, even once, were categorized as purple.
Crunching the numbers just a bit further leads to some surprising observations: Had the purple states done as well as the national average, 9,423 fewer of their residents would have died. Had blue states done as poorly as the country at large, 11,481 more of their residents would have died. Contrary to what many would have expected, Texas did just as well as blue states as a whole. California did even better with 38% fewer deaths than the national average which represents 4,836 fewer lives lost.
Were the lives saved worth the sacrifices made in the more restrictive states? Were the economic and social advantages worth the higher mortality rates in the less restrictive states? These aren't easy questions to answer, but this kind of data at least gives us something objective to refer to.
Keep in mind, this chart only refers to the Omicron surge which I arbitrarily framed as extending from mid December to late March.
