Concern is growing that U.S. protests could lead to spike in coronavirus cases

(Image credit: Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

Protests against police brutality following the death of George Floyd have drawn large crowds in dozens of major cities across the United States and internationally in London and Berlin. This has many — including those who have voiced their support for the movement — fearing that a new spike in coronavirus cases could be just around the coroner, The Associated Press reports.

Many demonstrators are wearing masks, but the crowd sizes make social distancing challenging, and public health experts have also pointed out the virus is spread by droplets released when people cough, sneeze, sing, or talk. Chanting, of course, is a common practice at protests. Add in the fact the virus appears to spread even among asymptomatic carriers, and their worries certainly make sense.

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said people who attended the protests this weekend "probably need to go get a COVID test this week," while also warning that the pandemic "that's killing black and brown people at higher numbers" won't pause for the protests. Read more at The Associated Press.

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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.