The coronavirus pandemic has put world leaders to the test. Some have addressed the crisis head-on while others have floundered or equivocated. Some have presided over successful efforts to contain the virus while others have seen massive outbreaks bloom on their watch.

Infection and mortality numbers – insofar as they are accurate, given limitations on testing, data collection and sometimes transparency – might seem to tell a clear story about which leaders should expect to win recognition for their responses and which should not. Effective crisis management has improved or resurrected some leaders' reputations. But in some cases, approval ratings do not correspond with infection rates, and tell a different story altogether about perception of national responses.

Washington Post