In common with many Americans from politically divided families, Sandy Levin, a 51-year-old Democrat who cannot abide Fox News, and her mother, a 79-year-old Republican who watches it all the time, have spent the last three years aggressively not talking about politics.

Sure, they’ve had their share of clashes, as when Ms. Levin’s mother become terrified that immigrants from Mexico were preparing to invade Los Angeles. (“I would take her out to the front yard and point to the Valley and say, ‘Nobody is coming,’” Ms. Levin recalled.)

But then came the coronavirus, and politics invaded their relationship. Not only are the two talking more, mostly about coronavirus-related logistics and Ms. Levin’s mother’s health, but also they have had to confront the fact that they are living according to two conflicting truths about the crisis unfolding outside. At the end of March, “my mom said she didn’t understand why everyone’s still getting upset because the flu is much worse,” Ms. Levin said. (Ms. Levin asked that her mother’s name not be used and said she did not want to be interviewed.)

“I said, well, many more people are dying and nobody knows what kind of disease this really is, and she said, OK, I’m going to go,” Ms. Levin said. Even more alarming, Ms. Levin said, her mother was still letting older friends drop by her house as March turned to April.