Did weekend protests spread coronavirus in Columbia, Charleston? Stay tuned.
Protesters who swarmed Columbia and Charleston this past weekend increased chances for the spread of COVID 19, raising the possibility the state’s largest cities will see a spike in coronavirus cases later this month.
That’s the word from several health experts and state officials, who said the virus can spread in large gatherings of people, particularly if many of those in the crowd were yelling, chanting and not wearing masks.
Peaceful protests were followed by more violent gatherings in both cities, where people crowded streets, screaming and vandalizing property. In Columbia, large groups of people gathered near the city police station and the nearby Vista entertainment area. Videos of the mayhem showed many people not wearing masks.
It likely would not be known for weeks if the crowding contributed to the spread of the coronavirus because it can take up to 14 days for the disease to make people ill. But experts said the state should be on the lookout.
“I was very concerned that we are going to see a spike,’’ said Michael Schmidt, a disease researcher at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. “All of the good things that the governor has had us doing, social distancing and wearing masks, really may have gone for naught.’’
“I’m worried now that this could spread in vulnerable populations.’’
Droplets of disease-carrying germs, often from coughing, yelling or sneezing, can spread the coronavirus, experts say. Many people who have been infected often don’t know they have it, and in this case, may have felt up to attending the rallies.
The weekend protests were part of rallies across the country to speak against police brutality in the aftermath of the killing of a black Minnesota resident by a white police officer. Thousands of people gathered in South Carolina’s largest cities to call for the end of what many consider institutional racism against African Americans.
Schmidt said a concern is whether the use of tear gas by police to disperse crowds that roamed the streets after the formal rallies increased chances the virus would spread.
Tear gas is effective at deterring mobs of people because it causes involuntary crying and other secretions, such as runny noses, that can spread droplets of disease, he said.
“These secretions, if you are an asymptomatic carrier, are indeed infectious,’’ Schmidt said. “They can contaminate sleeves or clothing.’’
The disease also could have been spread by yelling, much like the act of singing. Church choirs in some areas are believed to have spread the coronavirus.
Robert Ball, an epidemiologist and adjunct professor of infectious disease at MUSC, agreed the virus could have been spread at the rallies because large groups of people who aren’t wearing masks can infect each other.
Ball said, however, that it’s only part of a pattern developing in South Carolina. People are crowding beaches, holding boat parades, visiting stores and other public places, and many are not wearing masks, he said. The weekend rallies simply add to a trend that is limiting the state’s ability to stop the virus, he said.
“The tsnumani has hit, and now the waves keep rolling in like the tide,’’ he said. “This was one more wave, one more ripple effect.’’
Statistics indicate that South Carolina, after an apparent leveling off of cases, is seeing an uptick in COVID 19 cases since Gov. Henry McMaster began issuing orders to let the state reopen.
From May 13-26, the percent of positive coronavirus cases rose in South Carolina from 2.7% to 7.7%, The State reported this past weekend. The Reuters news service also reported that South Carolina is one of about 20 states that have had increases in case numbers after reopening began in early May.
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control also has concerns about how the weekend protest crowds may relate to the spread of the coronavirus.
In a statement to the media, the agency said the state can expect to see an increase in COVID 19 cases for people who take part in “mass gatherings’’ if they don’t stay away from others and don’t wear masks. It could take five to six days after people are tested to know if they have contracted the coronavirus, DHEC spokeswoman Laura Renwick said.
“If people don’t follow current recommendations for social distancing and avoiding crowds of any kind, we can anticipate seeing increased numbers,’’ Renwick said in an email.
Some of the protesters arrested this past weekend in Columbia may have been at risk if they were not wearing masks. Saturday night, authorities kept a large bus in the parking lot of the Mellow Mushroom on Gervais Street, where people detained by police were being held.
Jennifer Timmons, a spokeswoman for the Columbia Police Department, said in an email that use of the bus is not necessarily unusual. She did not say whether those detained had masks while they were on the bus, in proximity to each other.
“It’s not uncommon for law enforcement to utilize various vehicles during large-scale events such as ... protests where hundreds if not thousands of attendees gather,’’ Timmons said in an email Monday.
Reactions by medical experts in South Carolina echo concerns by disease specialists and doctors across the country. The New York Times reported Sunday that mass protests against police brutality had raised the possibility of new coronavirus outbreaks.
While one expert told the Times that being outside may have dispersed the virus, others the newspaper interviewed were more worried.
“Public gatherings are public gatherings — it doesn’t matter what you’re protesting or cheering,’’ medical historian Howard Markel told the Times. “That’s one reason we’re not having large baseball games and may not have college football this fall.’’
Former Food and Drug Administration commissioner Scott Gottlieb predicted the protests would lead to new “chains of transmissions,’’ The Times and CBS reported.
McMaster was asked by reporters Sunday if people who were at the rallies should isolate themselves for 14 days so that, if they have been infected, they would not spread the coronavirus.
““That’s up to the individuals,’’ McMaster said. “So, anyone who thinks they’ve been exposed ought to self quarantine.”
The governor said the lack of social distancing “exposes people to danger.’’
“We have stated that many, many times from this place as well as every other health authority in the country, I believe,’’ he said. “When people get in crowds like that they are putting themselves and others in jeopardy and they need to be very careful, but we can’t control that.”
Staff Writer Maayan Schechter contributed to this story.
This story was originally published June 1, 2020 at 7:11 PM.
