Pandemic Politics: Protests

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Hello Everyone:

Yours Truly is having a wonderful day now that California is entering phase three of re-opening the state.  As great as a day it is, even for a Monday, you should still Do the Five and wear a face mask.

The Blogger Candidate Forum is back today to continue the politics and pandemic discussion.  The Candidate Forum wants to remind you that November 3rd, Election Day, will be upon in five months.  You still have time to register to vote at usa.gov.  Do it now, after you read the post.  Onward

Former Los Angeles Laker and legendary basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar recently published a brilliant Op-ed in the Los Angeles Times (latimes.com; May 30, 2020), in which he reflects on the tragic death of George Floyd and the protests that followed.  He writes,

...So, maybe the black community's main concern right now isn't whether protesters are standing three or six feet apart whether apart or whether a few desperate souls steal some T-shirts or even set a police station on fire, but whether their sons, husbands, brothers will be murdered by cops or wannabe cops just for going on a walk, a jog, a drive.  Or whether being black means sheltering at home for the rest of their lives because the racism virus infecting the country is more deadly than COVID-19

What you should see when you see black protesters in the age of Trump and coronavirus is people pushed to the edge, not because they want bars and nail salons open, but because they want to live.  To breathe...

nytimes.com

We are at moment of convergence: The virus and the protests against police brutality that followed the death of George Floyd.  Mr. Abdul-Jabbar laid bare the stark fact that every day of every African American is a life an death struggle just to go about their day, like everyone else, without fear.  Therefore, the fact that some of the protesters are not wearing masks or socially distancing themselves seems pretty trivial.  Yours Truly does not mean to imply that the protesters are throwing caution to the wind when it comes to the virus.  The protesters are demanding that you pay attention to the reasons why they are in the streets.  What do the protests mean for the pandemic itself?

COVID-19 cell
forbes.com

   
Let us get this fact out of the way, "The wave of mass protests across the United States will almost certainly set off new chains of infection for the novel coronavirus,..." (theatlantic.com; June 1, 2020; date accessed June 8, 2020).  We know the airborne virus spreads when people shout (slogans), sneeze (to expel pepper spray), or cough (after inhaling tear gas).  It is transmitted quickly and effectively in crowds and large gatherings and "research has found that just a few contagious people can infect hundreds of people susceptible people around them..."(theatlantic.com; June 1, 2020).  Given this information, the United States appears to have found itself in a conundrum, "The demonstrations oppose police brutality.  But peaceful, masked protesters--and journalists covering them--have sometimes been met with overly aggressive police response" (Ibid).  In short, new outbreaks of COVID-19 are not a question of if, but one of when and where.

The beleaguered World Health Organizations issued a statement in support of the protests.  Director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus tweeted on June 8,

WHO fully supports equality and the global movement against racism.  We reject discrimination of all kinds (npr.org; June 8, 2020).

wflx.com

The protests have rightly prompted fears that thousands of people, standing shoulder-to-shoulder, could lead to a spike in the number of cases, which hit a new high on Sunday, with 136,000 new cases reported (Ibid).  Pandemic transmission Modelers say that right now, "it's difficult to assess how the protests will influence COVID-19 infections" (npr.org; June 8, 2020).  The virus has an incubation period of up to two weeks and public health officials believe that it will take about a couple of weeks before they see the impact (Ibid).

One key element for transmission is present at many of the rallies, close contact.  The images of protesters standing in very close proximity--face masks or not--raise concerns, particularly in cities with higher transmission rates.  The WHO director-general has recommended that protesters observe local health department guidelines to safeguard themselves from the virus.  Tedros Adhanom Ghegreyesus told National Public Radio,

We encourage all those protesting around the world to do so safely,... Clean your hands, cover your cough and wear a mask if you attend a protest (Ibid)

He also advised that protesters stay home if they are are sick and maintain social distance.  Michael Ryan, the director of the WHO's health emergencies program told a Monday,

The riskiest situation to be in is to be in close proximity to a case, particularly a symptomatic case, of COVID-19... (npr.org; June 8, 2020).

COVID-19 test
health.ucdavis.edu

Ohio State University epidemiologist and physician Bill Miller added,

Testing everyone that participated in demonstrations would be useful in communities where many new cases are being reported every day.  These new cases indicate that transmission is occurring at a high rate in the communities" (Ibid)

Dr. Miller also suggested, as an alternative to testing, active contact tracing.  He said,

With new cases, the tracers could ask about demonstration participation including days and times (Ibid)

The logic behind it is "... if cases are linked to a demonstration, a call could go out to get everyone who participated in that event to be tested?

Although being outdoors appears to reduce the risk of exposure because the virus does not live long in sunlight and there is better air circulation, there is still no guarantee that that you will not get infected.  Activities associated with the protests--eg. riding on public transport to go to the rallies or being arrested and jailed indoors with others--could increase your risk of exposure to the virus.

Bottom line is this, rather than focus on the fact that there are unmasked people standing shoulder-to-shoulder, shouting slogans, focus on why they are there.  The men and women attending the protests understand the risks to their health and accept them because the cause is important. One can only hope that they will stay safe.