As the protests rage across America, the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a backseat. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has warned, however, that the protests, which quite often do not feature social distancing, could lead to spikes in COVID-19.
“Every time I hear about or see the congregation of large crowds at a time and geographic area where there is active infection transmission, it is a perfect set-up for the spread of the virus in the sense of creating these blips that might turn into some surges,” Fauci said, as reported by Business Insider. “So I get very concerned.”
Though Fauci agreed that the protesters have a right to be out there, he said their close proximity and the presence of tear gas or pepper spray will certainly escalate the risk of transmitting COVID-19.
“There certainly is a risk, I would say that with confidence, when you see the congregation of crowds, particularly in a situation where you have a lot of confusion and a little bit of chaos, people running back and forth, taking their masks off, being close in proximity, that does pose a risk,” he said
“It is a difficult situation,” he continued. “We have the right to peaceably demonstrate, and the demonstrators are exercising that right…it’s important to exercise your constitutional rights to be able to demonstrate, but it’s a delicate balance, because the reasons for demonstrating are valid. And yet, the demonstration itself puts one at an additional risk.”
Despite the risks of contracting COVID-19, some public health experts have defended the protests, saying police brutality and racism are public health issues equally as insidious and destructive fabric of society.
“One in every 1,000 Black men and boys can expect to be killed by police in this country,” Harvard Medical School epidemiologist Dr. Maia Majumder told Vox. “To me, this clearly illustrates why police brutality is a public health problem; anything that causes mortality at such a scale is a public health problem.”
“People have asked ‘what do the protests mean for COVID-19 transmission?'”, epidemiologist Helen Jenkins wrote on Twitter. “My thoughts: The issue of violence against black people & the wider issue of systemic racism is big enough and endemic enough that it needs to be addressed now & I whole-heartedly support the protesters.”
Last month, Dr. Anthony Fauci said that keeping America closed for too long will cause irreparable damage.
“We can’t stay locked down for such a considerable period of time that you might do irreparable damage and have unintended consequences including consequences for health,” he said. “And it’s for that reason why the guidelines are being put forth so that the states and the cities can start to reenter and reopen. So we are enthusiastic about reopening, and I think we can do it in a pace that would be reasonable and that would get us back as a society from a morale standpoint as well as the economy. I don’t want people to think that any of us feel that staying locked down for a prolonged period of time is the way to go.”
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a member.