Elected leaders fear that coast-to-coast protests sparked by the death of George Floyd have the potential to trigger a fresh wave of Covid-19 cases, the New York Times reports. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, and Maryland Governor Larry Hogan were cited by the Times as having raised concerns about the effects of the protests on efforts to mitigate the spread of the virus. The article quoted a Vanderbilt infectious disease expert, however, who described a reduction in risk of transmission in out-of-doors environments. Others interviewed by the Times posted concern, citing variables such as the likely presence of asymptomatic carriers, the dangers of indoor crowding during mass arrest scenarios, and the historical precedent for the aggravating effect of outdoor events during the 1918 flu pandemic.
The Times also cited the remarks of former FDA chief Scott Gottlieb, who expressed concern for the effects of the protests on CBS’s Face the Nation. In that May 31 interview, who said that “chains in transmission will have become lit from these gatherings.” Gottlieb went on to describe social and economic factors contributing to the disproportionate impact the pandemic is having on American communities of color. “Stopping the pandemic is going to depend on our ability to take care of our most medically and socially vulnerable,” stated Gottlieb, “we absolutely need to resolve these underlying problems to eliminate the risk of pandemic spread and of the epidemic.”