The death of George Floyd occurred on Monday, May 25, 2020 in Powderhorn, Minneapolis, United States, as a result of his arrest by four police officers. In a few days, it generated a wave of protests throughout the country against racism, xenophobia and police abuses against foreign personnel.
The demonstrations They have put the health services to the test again, expecting there to be a rebound in cases.
Will there be a rebound?
Some infectious disease experts are sending reassuring messages about possible spikes in demonstrations because the protests were held outdoors, arguing that the outdoor setting could mitigate the risk of transmission.
In contrast, other experts point out that shouting slogans during a protest can accelerate the spread, and the tear gas and pepper spray used by police cause people to cry and cough, which increases respiratory secretions from the eyes, nose, and the mouth.
Howard Markel, a medical historian who studies pandemics, compares protest crowds to bond parades (intended to raise funds for World War I) held in American cities such as Philadelphia and Detroit in the midst of the 1918 flu pandemic, which were often followed by spikes in flu cases.
Public meetings are public meetings, no matter what you protest or cheer. That is one reason why holding concerts, football games, etc. is discouraged.
Although many protesters wore masks, others did not. SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19 disease, is transmitted primarily through respiratory droplets spread when people talk, cough or sneeze. Yelling is a bad idea. Police efforts to move crowds through narrow urban areas can corral people into closer proximity to one another.
Arresting, transporting or imprisoning protesters increases the potential for the virus to spread. Ashish Jha, professor and director of the Harvard Global Health Institute, has asked protesters to refrain from violence and urged police to exercise restraint.
Scott Gottlieb, former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, notes that social and economic inequalities, including poor access to health care, discrimination in health care settings, increased reliance on public transportation, and disparities in employment are factors that lead to higher Covid-19 disease burden among African Americans.
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The news
Protests over the death of George Floyd could (or not) trigger a new wave of coronavirus
was originally published in
Xataka Science
by
Sergio Parra
.