Dr. Fauci warns that protests could spread COVID-19

Crowds gathering for recent protests could spread COVID-19, Dr. Anthony Fauci has warned. 

People have gathered around the country for protests following the May 25 death of George Floyd in Minnesota.

“The reasons for demonstrating are valid, yet the demonstration itself puts one at an additional risk,” Fauci, the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said during an interview Friday with WTOP.

Fauci said that in addition to the closeness of the crowd, people yelling and chanting without facial coverings contribute to the risk. The news outlet noted that protestors have coughed after authorities used irritants.

“I get very concerned, as do my colleagues in public health, when they see these kinds of crowds,” Fauci noted. “There certainly is a risk. I can say that with confidence.”

He urged protestors to wear a face mask while at the demonstrations.

The protests are occurring in some places like the nation's capital that already had a significant rate of spread prior to the recent spate of mass gatherings, according to WTOP. 

“It’s a perfect setup for further spread of the virus in the sense of creating these blips which might turn into some surges,” Fauci said.