On the heels of 232K deaths and 9.3M confirmed cases, we are now learning that exit polling suggests that the coronavirus pandemic was not topmost on voters’ minds on Election Day.

About 4 in 10 voters said they would prioritize the economy over efforts to limit the spread of the coronavirus. Around one-third of voters said they were primarily motivated by the economy — a sentiment that was particularly widespread among Trump supporters, of whom 6 in 10 cited the economy as their top priority. Health officials nationwide attempted to capture the attention of a distracted nation Tuesday, warning that the steady increase of infections that began in mid-September is not slowing down amid lingering uncertainty over potential vaccines.

Chicken and egg thinking here. As long as the pandemic is not contained, getting the economy back on track will be a challenge.