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Study: Superspreader Trump Rallies Generated 30,000 COVID-19 Cases And Over 700 Deaths

Researchers from Stanford University estimate President Donald Trump's series of campaign rallies have functioned as COVID-19 superspreader events. HuffPost reports Stanford University researchers say the events led to thousands of more cases and hundreds of more deaths than would have occurred otherwise. Though not necessarily among attendees, more than 30,000 new confirmed coronavirus cases and more than 700 deaths, arose because of the gatherings. HuffPost reports that among the 18 events studied, three of them ― in Tulsa, Oklahoma; Phoenix; and Henderson, Nevada ― took place indoors; the rest happened outdoors. Photos and video from Trump’s events showed that few attendees wore masks to help prevent the spread of the highly contagious disease. The Stanford findings appeared to back up one Oklahoma health official who suggested that the president’s rally contributed to a spike in COVID-19 cases around Tulsa in late June and early July. The communities in which Trump rallies took place paid a high price in terms of disease and death. Study authors, Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research