I’m not going to buy that the protests, where people were shouting while also getting tear gassed which directly causes coughing, didn’t spread the virus. Even though it was outdoors and mostly masks, common sense says there was some spreading. I’m guessing that when people tested positive they were also out to restaurants, bars or other places so they can’t pin point it on just protests. 

16 minutes ago, LeanMeanGM said:

I’m not going to buy that the protests, where people were shouting while also getting tear gassed which directly causes coughing, didn’t spread the virus. Even though it was outdoors and mostly masks, common sense says there was some spreading. I’m guessing that when people tested positive they were also out to restaurants, bars or other places so they can’t pin point it on just protests. 

......but that sound logic doesn't fit the narrative so....

7 hours ago, vikas83 said:

It's really not that difficult.

Do I believe the government has a legal right to force everyone to wear a mask? Likely not.

Do I wear a mask because I am not a scumbag of a human being and want this to be over? Yes.

It's basically a question of whether or not you are a decent human being.

We've had disagreements on many things, sometimes forcefully, but I generally appreciate your perspective. Thank you.

26 minutes ago, LeanMeanGM said:

I’m not going to buy that the protests, where people were shouting while also getting tear gassed which directly causes coughing, didn’t spread the virus. Even though it was outdoors and mostly masks, common sense says there was some spreading. I’m guessing that when people tested positive they were also out to restaurants, bars or other places so they can’t pin point it on just protests. 

Actually, this study shows that, where there were large protests, normal people tended to stay home, so the transmission of the virus in those areas was between people at the protests, while the overall numbers of cases were offset by an increase in social distancing from everyone else.

https://www.nber.org/papers/w27408.pdf

 

2 minutes ago, Smokesdawg said:

 

0% chance Hannity admits being wrong.

11 hours ago, Mike030270 said:

The small ones were able to keep the distancing. The large ones failed miserably

You can also see there's people without masks or not even wearing them properly

Sure. Still a lot of masks. More than the 60% number that's been floating around.

10 hours ago, The_Omega said:

Who’s been saying the spikes are partly due to the protests? It’s purely coincidental that the spikes started shortly after the protests started, and are largely effecting same age group as the protesters.

The spikes aren't happening in areas where there were protests. They're happening in localities that relaxed the social distancing guidelines and where masks are not being worn in as large numbers.

I'm sure that the protests resulted in an increase in cases among the population protesting. However that number was at least in part kept manageably low due to widespread wearing of masks and the protests being outdoors. And per the study you cited, whatever growth may have occurred among the protesting population was offset (and more) by the population that sheltered in place while the protests were ongoing.

"we find no evidence that urban protests reignited COVID-19 case growth during the more than three weeks following protest onset"

I don't think anyone has argued there was no addition communication of the disease because of the protests. What is being pointed out is that by and large protesters followed guidelines for sharing public spaces in close proximity with other people - specifically wearing masks and, wherever possible (albeit harder for sure) allowing for social distance - and that the activities took place in open air and in the sunlight where transmission of the virus is further reduced. 

And that compared to a large group of individuals attending a tightly packed gathering indoors without wearing masks, it's reasonable to expect those case numbers would increase more on a per capita basis.

This is not complicated. It's not political, or at least it shouldn't be. 

22 minutes ago, JohnSnowsHair said:

The spikes aren't happening in areas where there were protests. They're happening in localities that relaxed the social distancing guidelines and where masks are not being worn in as large numbers.

 

Wasn't it reported a bunch of times that protestors didn't live in the areas they were protesting in though? So spikes wouldn't happen in area of protests. They'd happen in areas where those protestors actually lived

5 minutes ago, Mike030270 said:

Wasn't it reported a bunch of times that protestors didn't live in the areas they were protesting in though? So spikes wouldn't happen in area of protests. They'd happen in areas where those protestors actually lived

Yeah that complicates things to a degree.

But unless you believe the vast majority of protesters drove to NY, Seattle, DC, etc. from Texas, SC, Florida, California etc., then took the virus back with them and just happened to drive up the number of cases specifically in places that were operating as though the virus was history, then .... Well, if you believe that I have a bridge I'd like to sell you.

3 minutes ago, JohnSnowsHair said:

Yeah that complicates things to a degree.

But unless you believe the vast majority of protesters drove to NY, Seattle, DC, etc. from Texas, SC, Florida, California etc., then took the virus back with them and just happened to drive up the number of cases specifically in places that were operating as though the virus was history, then .... Well, if you believe that I have a bridge I'd like to sell you.

I'm not sure how far they've traveled. I just know because of reports that people weren't from the areas that they were arrested in for protesting

10 hours ago, Smokesdawg said:

 

I'll take "things that didn't age well" for 600, Alex.

26 minutes ago, Mike030270 said:

I'm not sure how far they've traveled. I just know because of reports that people weren't from the areas that they were arrested in for protesting

I think it's safe to assume they weren't from Texas.

28 minutes ago, Paul852 said:

I think it's safe to assume they weren't from Texas.

There were protests in all states

9 minutes ago, Mike030270 said:

There were protests in all states

And the states that has the weakest guidelines, and whose governors and politicians were crowing the most about how concerns were overblown, and that requiring masks was really some sort of attempt by liberals to "control" the population by fear, happen to also be the ones that are seeing the largest sustained spikes.

California is an outlier in state level leadership, but they were not with regards to guidelines around virus mitigation. Outside of the bay area, which had maintained guidelines around wearing masks in public and social distancing in public businesses, much of the state was operating under similar relaxed guidelines. The only area of the state not seeing this spike in case growth? The bay area. Those crazy liberals.

It's not about politics. It's about how the population is being led and encouraged to prevent the spread - or not. It's only about politics insofar as some try to project "violation of civil liberties" onto common sense behaviors that help prevent the spread of the virus.

37 minutes ago, Mike030270 said:

There were protests in all states

So then every single state should be experiencing a spike right now.

Lol NC governor is dem and we're having problems. It's not just repub governors 

 

Has anyone bought a high quality mask that can be reused when thrown in the washer. 

3 minutes ago, Mike030270 said:

Lol NC governor is dem and we're having problems. It's not just repub governors 

 

I never said it was.

1 minute ago, Paul852 said:

I never said it was.

My mistake then. You both made it seem like that was your points

7 minutes ago, Mike030270 said:

Lol NC governor is dem and we're having problems. It's not just repub governors 

 

No, it's not. I said it's not about politics. California is seeing spikes as well.

It seems clear: if you try to aggressively reopen, you're going to run a serious risk of seeing a second wave. People need to listen to experts - not politicians - and take the steps necessary to mitigate this until we have a vaccine.

Wear a freaking mask. It's not an attack on your civil liberties. If you're in a public space there are rules and regulations you have to live by: wear clothes, and wear a mask. If you don't want to wear a mask, then stay home.

3 minutes ago, JohnSnowsHair said:

No, it's not. I said it's not about politics. California is seeing spikes as well.

It seems clear: if you try to aggressively reopen, you're going to run a serious risk of seeing a second wave. People need to listen to experts - not politicians - and take the steps necessary to mitigate this until we have a vaccine.

Wear a freaking mask. It's not an attack on your civil liberties. If you're in a public space there are rules and regulations you have to live by: wear clothes, and wear a mask. If you don't want to wear a mask, then stay home.

Agreed

Another day, another record 

Went to the farmers market today. Way too many people not wearing masks. One dude had that plus something about respecting the Betsy Ross flag on his shirt, so I guess he was making more of a statement than being ignorant. 

42 minutes ago, paco said:

Went to the farmers market today. Way too many people not wearing masks. One dude had that plus something about respecting the Betsy Ross flag on his shirt, so I guess he was making more of a statement than being ignorant. 

@lynched1 was probably there.