While not conclusive, evidence suggests that relatively few transmissions of the coronavirus occurred during the widespread protests that followed the death of George Floyd due to the outdoor settings, being in motion and wearing of masks.
"Now, some public health officials and disease trackers say there appears to be scant evidence the protests sparked widespread outbreaks," reports contact tracing, they simply can’t say for sure."
"Others say that because many states reopened about the same time as the protests, and because of the limits of
In other cities, officials were less willing to dismiss the potential role of the demonstrations. Other activities and events are also recognized as contributing to the surge.
On the other hand, actual documentation exists for what are called superspreading events or activities that are largely indoors, such as a church choir practice in Skagit County, Washington, events at a synagogue in New Rochelle, N.Y. and a cult church in Daegu, South Korea.
“While outdoor transmission is certainly possible, it does seem like it happens less frequently and that’s one of the reasons why: Your exposure is going to be higher indoors,” said Angela L. Rasmussen, a virologist at Columbia University.
Related in Planetizen:
- COVID's New Demographic, June 29, 2020
FULL STORY: Protests probably didn’t lead to coronavirus spikes, but it’s hard to know for sure
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