About as predictable as the sun rising. An estimated 400,000 attended the annual biker rally in Sturgis, South Dakota, a town of less than 7000 people. Masks were scarce and social distancing was an oxymoron.
The awful thing about these super spreader events is that besides the selfish people who attended and who will get sick and some more will die, is that they'll take it back home with them, to spread to others. And this was all completely unnecessary.
Source: Washington Post
A Minnesota biker who attended the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally has died of covid-19 — the first fatality from the virus traced to the 10-day event that drew more than 400,000 to South Dakota.
The man was in his 60s, had underlying conditions and was hospitalized in intensive care after returning from the rally, said Kris Ehresmann, infectious-disease director at the Minnesota Department of Health. The case is among at least 260 cases in 11 states tied directly to the event, according to a survey of health departments by The Washington Post.
Epidemiologists believe that figure is a significant undercount, due to the resistance of some rallygoers to testing and the limited contact tracing in some states. As a result, the true scope of infections stemming from the event that ran from Aug. 7 to Aug. 16 is unlikely to ever be known. Public health officials had long expressed concern over the decision to move forward with the annual event, believed to be the largest held anywhere in the U.S. since the pandemic shelved most large-scale gatherings.
First coronavirus death traced to Sturgis Motorcyle Rally that drew 400,000 people https://t.co/EHm8FfIusn
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) September 2, 2020
So unnecessary—Minnesota biker who attended the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally has died of #covid19 —- the first fatality traced to the 10-day event that drew more than 400,000 to South Dakota. At least 260 cases in 11 states tied directly to Sturgis bike rally. https://t.co/5qY1MASs91
— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) September 2, 2020
Super-spreader events unnecessarily kill Americans like this biker from the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota and Herman Cain from the Trump Oklahoma Rally.
We'll find out in 2 weeks who is critically ill and dies from the Republican National Convention in DC. https://t.co/DCg39tvaKm pic.twitter.com/Kyx3iYZeBG— Cleavon MD (@Cleavon_MD) September 2, 2020
