Reports Show Trump Rallies Are Not Super Spreaders for COVID-19

Reports of incidences of COVID-19 China coronavirus infections potentially traced to President Trump’s campaign rallies this fall shows low numbers of cases, contradicting fear-mongering that the outdoor rallies attended by thousands of supporters are “super spreader” events.

The Trump campaign does temperature checks of attendees at the entrance to the rallies and encourages the use of face masks and hand sanitizers, however once inside there is little social distancing.

Wearing of masks is more prevalent with those seated behind Trump than with supporters in other sections of the rallies.

ABC News reported Friday that the Wisconsin Department of Health has traced a handful of cases to Trump rallies held in the state the past two months:

Wisconsin Department of Health Services told ABC News that a total of five cases have been possibly linked to four different Trump rallies over the last three months.

Here’s how the cases breakdown: One case from Oshkosh Trump rally on Aug. 17; One case from Mosinee Trump rally on Sept. 17; Two cases from Janesville Trump rally on Oct. 17; One case from Waukesha Trump rally on Oct. 24…

…”Because of the sheer volume they’re working with, our contact tracers are conducting abbreviated versions of full interviews and may not capture all details about where an infection was acquired,” Wisconsin health department spokesperson Elizabeth Goodsitt told ABC News. “Also, the people below reported other possible exposures, so we can’t say for sure these events were or were not the cause of these cases.”…

Earlier this week ABC reported on 23 cases traced to three Trump and Pence rallies held in Minnesota in September,

At least 23 coronavirus cases have been linked to three outbreaks that occurred at Trump campaign events in Minnesota in September, Minnesota Health Department spokesperson Doug Schultz told ABC News.

The outbreaks occurred at a Trump rally at Bemidji Aviation on Sept. 18, where 16 cases have been identified; a Mike Pence speech at a Minneapolis-Saint Paul airport hotel on Sept. 24, where three cases have been identified; and a Trump rally at Duluth Airport on Sept. 30, where four cases have been identified, Schutlz said.

Two of the 16 who contracted the virus at the Bemidji event were hospitalized, according to the Health Department.

Another outbreak occurred at a counter-rally that took place near the Bemidji event, where four cases have been identified, the Health Department said…

ABC noted COVID-19 has been traced to one of Joe Biden’s sparsely attended events:

“One coronavirus case was linked to Joe Biden’s rally in Duluth on Sept. 18.”

The Charlotte Observer reported Thursday that two people who attended a Trump rally in Gastonia last week tested positive, one of whom is a reporter for a local TV station:

Two attendees of President Donald Trump’s rally at Gastonia Municipal Airport on Oct. 21 have tested positive for COVID-19, Gaston County’s health department announced Thursday.

The county said that the cases are believed to be independent from one another, and not an indication of spread at the rally.

Contact tracing for the individuals is underway, the county said. Gaston County made the announcement “because of the large number of potential contacts from the rally, and the inability to alert them directly,” according to the release from county spokesman Adam Gaub.

Those who attended the rally were encouraged to monitor their symptoms and get tested if needed. Both positive tests occurred Oct. 26. Brandon Goldner, a reporter at Charlotte’s NBC affiliate, WCNC, said on Twitter that he is one of the two positive cases.

interviewed or interacted with before my test result. I was wearing a mask during the entire rally, but due to Secret Service protocols, there were several times when social distancing wasn't possible. Thank you everyone who's already reached out to offer their love and support!

— Brandon Goldner (@BrandonWCNC) October 29, 2020

The AP reported Friday on a study that sought to definitively tie outbreaks to Trump rallies but could not do so:

Zach Nayer, a resident at Riverside Regional Medical Center in Newport News, and a colleague later compiled county data on new coronavirus cases at Trump rally sites from late June to the Newport News event. They reviewed the number of cases for the 14 days before and after each event and published their findings on the health news site STAT.

They found that spikes in COVID-19 cases occurred in seven of the 14 cities and townships where rallies were held: Tulsa, Oklahoma; Phoenix; Old Forge, Pennsylvania; Bemidji and Mankato in Minnesota; and Oshkosh and Weston, Wisconsin.

The researchers acknowledged, however, that increased caseloads could not be definitely linked to the rallies.

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