U.S. health experts, officials warn protests may add to virus spread

Public health experts and government officials, including New York’s governor, are warning that large street protests over racial inequities and excessive police force could worsen the spread of the novel coronavirus.

The protests over the death of an unarmed black man, George Floyd, in police custody in Minneapolis last Monday, have spread to cities including New York, Los Angeles, and Baltimore.

They are bringing together hundreds, sometimes thousands, of people just as the country is reopening after lengthy lockdowns to stop the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms recommended to that city’s residents that if they were at a protest, they should consider being tested for COVID-19.

Health experts say the close proximity of participants, running and yelling or chanting, may increase transmission because people emit more respiratory droplets under these conditions.

“These are large numbers of people getting together closely for prolonged periods of time and often cheering and shouting. So they’re exhaling with vigor. So we know that people without symptoms can spread this virus and it’s possible that, in that circumstance, the COVID virus could be spread to others,” said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

“I’m particularly concerned because, understandably, a lot of the demonstrators are people of color, that’s the issue that they’re demonstrating about, their concerns, and that’s already a population disproportionately affected by COVID,” Schaffner said.

Early data from U.S. states shows African Americans are more likely to die from COVID-19, highlighting longstanding disparities in health and inequalities in access to medical care, experts have said.