Sturgis Motorcycle Rally was 'superspreading event' that cost public health $12.2 billion

[BlueWavePsych]

The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota last month was a coronavirus “superspreading event” that led to an estimated $12.2 billion in public health costs, according to a new study by the IZA Institute of Labor Economics.

The analysis tracked anonymized cellphone data from the 10-day event that showed “smartphone pings from non-residents” and “foot traffic at restaurants and bars, retail establishments, entertainment venues, hotels and campgrounds each rose substantially.” Stay-at-home hours for local residents fell during the same time period.

Based on the increase in case count, the researchers group, estimated that cases connected to the gathering resulted in $12 billion in public health costs, not including the costs associated with any deaths that might be tied to cases from the event. That dollar amount is based on another estimation that an average of $46,000 is spent on each patient who tests positive for COVID-19.

Researchers concluded that more than 266,000 cases were tied to the event attended by more than 460,000 individuals.

https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/515453-sturgis-motorcycle-rally-was-superspreading-event-that-cost-public

More Darwin Awards!

[GusBob]

1. Dumb question: Isnt there any sort of liability here?

I'm thinking if lawyers were to get involved, these types of events would be stopped by insurance comapnies

[SheltieLover]

2. Wondering same thing

[Bev54]

5. Aren't they going ahead with their fall fair as well?

That too will be a super spreader. The problem is, it is not just the cost for this state but they go home and spread in other states and many of them are refusing to provide information to do tracing so it could even be worse.

[Blue_true]

8. Yes on the state fair. The governor there is a rightwing, Trump loving asshole. nt

[Blue_true]

7. Coca-Cola, Harley Davidson and a instant energy drink company were sponsors of the rally.

Maybe they will get sued.

[underpants]

3. I hate to agree with the Governor

This event was 3 weeks ago. 266,000 cases? $12 Billion? Is that a “possibly”? I’m not reading the whole 63 page report that seems like a bit much so soon

The $46k per case also needs to be verified to me.

[Blue_true]

9. The spread was traced by cellphone pings.

So, they can accurately determine if participants of the rally took the virus elsewhere. The same team studied cellphone pings from BLM protest participants and found that there was no spread because people at protests wore masks and never went into enclosed spaces - so the researchers have experience in tracking SARS-COV-2 spread.

[underpants]

11. Mmmm okay

Sounds more like a “possibly” or “potentially” to me

[Blue_true]

12. The accuracy of the cell phone tracking and the researchers referencing covid19

rates in places that the bikers passed through or went home to make it more of a certainty.

[napi21]

4. I'm not a lawyer, but I think his event falls into the "You can't legislate stupidity" category. If

people want to get together for a BIG PARTY, (which is what Sturgis is). you can't legally stop them. They obviously felt they were invincible, or at least won't contract anything worse then the flu, so they felt the fun was worth the risk!

[GusBob]

10. If the stupid biker returns home and infects someone else

And that person gets sick and incurs medical or other expenses .....
It seems to me that the sponsors or the city can be held liable
And I would hazard to guess both carry insurance

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

6. #COVIDIOTS