U.S. public health officials are warning that the massive countrywide demonstrations against police brutality, which show no sign of abating, could be followed by a sudden increase in novel coronavirus cases. Black people are both among the most seriously affected by the virus, and among those out in force protesting.
“Crowded protests, like any large gathering of people in a close space, can help facilitate the spread of covid-19, which is why it’s so important participants wear masks, eye protection and bring hand gel,” Saskia Popescu, an infectious-disease epidemiologist at George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government, wrote in an email to The Post.
We are probably going to see an increase in COVID-19 cases this month anyway thanks to the end of lockdowns. Now we have yet another accelerant waiting in the wings. And unless Republicans in Congress get off their butts, a month after that supplemental aid to the unemployed will mostly end. It is, to use the common cliche, a perfect storm awaiting us. I’m not looking forward to June.
