Name: Protests defy coronavirus guidelines, but health experts say engagement is 'essential.' Here's how protesters and police can reduce risk.
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Protests defy coronavirus guidelines, but health experts say engagement is 'essential.' Here's how protesters and police can reduce risk.

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USA TODAY NETWORKView CommentsAs demonstrations erupt throughout the U.S. to demand justice for black Americans killed at the hands of police, one thing is clear: The events don't align with public health guidelines&nbsp;for the COVID-19 pandemic.Hundreds of thousands of people have gathered together to mourn and protest police brutality after George Floyd, an unarmed black man, died after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on Floyd's neck for several minutes.There have been no statewide limits on large gatherings since Gov. Tony Evers' stay-at-home order ended May 13, though experts still recommend social distancing and nearly 3,000 newly confirmed cases have been announced since Memorial Day.But the protests will likely continue. So epidemiologists want to give attendees the tools they need to be safe, and pressure leaders and law enforcement to protect the health of those who show up and speak out.Nasia Safdar, medical director of infection control at UW Health, said she noticed&nbsp;that the gatherings violated distancing recommendations. But she said she had to weigh which was the greater threat to society: COVID-19, or accepting what Safdar called "murder in broad daylight" by police.Daily Digest: It's easy to look at large crowds&nbsp;and be worried about the spread of COVID-19, said Amanda Simanek, associate professor of epidemiology at UW-Milwaukee. It's&nbsp;especially worrisome when data shows that it's hitting black communities harder. Statewide, African Americans have accounted for 25% of coronavirus deaths, though they&nbsp;make up just 6% of the population.But&nbsp;it can't be ignored, Simanek said, that the root cause of the health disparities that plague people of color is the same root cause that cost Floyd his life: racism, which some Wisconsin counties and municipalities&nbsp;have .&nbsp;"No one should have assumed that just because we're in the middle of a pandemic that we would put a pause on protesting or that communities of color would say, 'OK, we're going to wait to stand up to structural racism because we have to avoid getting infected,'" Simanek said. "That's an unrealistic expectation."&nbsp;So what can you do to lower the risk if you plan to attend a protest?Much of experts' advice is similar to what they have said about trips to the grocery store: Don't go if you feel ill, wear a mask, don't touch your face and try to put space between yourself and other people.&nbsp;But not all of that can be accomplished at a protest — and it's not all in your control.&nbsp;Crowds may move unpredictably, and&nbsp;in trying to control them, police&nbsp;may corral protesters into close proximity with each other.The dangers of densely packed streets during a pandemic were shown in a 1918 Philadelphia parade to support the war effort, when 200,000 people attended and an estimated 45,000&nbsp;were infected with Spanish flu within a week.Shouting and singing also compared to talking.Because there's little precedent for mass protests occurring during a global pandemic, there's also little data about how tear gas and other irritants exacerbate a respiratory virus. But it is "hard to believe it wouldn't hurt," Safdar said.&nbsp;Tear gas prompts coughing and&nbsp;sneezing, which prompts people to touch&nbsp;their&nbsp;face to relieve the sensation.To protect protesters' health as well as public safety, experts say law enforcement should reduce the use of tear gas and irritants and allow for physical distancing when possible. And protesters should be encouraged to use&nbsp;noise-making devices instead of shouting.&nbsp;&nbsp;was another event where people had to take a known risk despite the virus, Simanek said.&nbsp;Poll workers were given&nbsp;masks, everyone got their own pen, and other safety measures were put in place.&nbsp;"Where was the effort here to partner with protesters to keep it (as small of a risk) as possible?" Simanek said.Protests are another&nbsp;way of engaging in the political process — which is "essential," said UW-Madison epidemiologist Patrick Remington."We have to get back to being engaged in society, we just have to do that understanding that there's an infectious disease that could make you pay a high (price) for that involvement," he said.&nbsp;"What we want to do in all those settings is do everything we can to reduce the risk of either getting the disease or transmitting it to others."For protesters, sticking close to household contacts or people you know while marching can make contact tracing easier in the event that someone is infected, experts say.&nbsp;After the event, people should watch for symptoms of COVID-19 and, should they appear, isolate themselves and come in for a test. Though some have suggested immediately quarantining for 14 days following a protest, Safdar acknowledged people may not have the luxury to do so if they need to work.&nbsp;Others have raised the possibility of simply going in for a test a few days after attending a protest. But that, too, has its caveats, as a person's infection may not have progressed to the stage where it will show&nbsp;up on a diagnostic test.&nbsp;Simanek said there's still a chance to do things better, not only through government and police working together to lessen risk, but also by people coming together and understanding "why people feel implored to go out":"Because the alternative is to not stand up to getting killed."Contact Madeline Heim at 920-996-7266 or mheim@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @madeline_heim.&nbsp;View Comments

USA TODAY NETWORKView CommentsAs demonstrations erupt throughout the U.S. to demand justice for black Americans killed at the hands of police, one thing is clear: The events don't align with public health guidelines&nbsp;for the COVID-19 pandemic.Hundreds of thousands of people have gathered together to mourn and protest police brutality after George Floyd, an unarmed black man, died after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on Floyd's neck for several minutes.There have been no statewide limits on large gatherings since Gov. Tony Evers' stay-at-home order ended May 13, though experts...

Protests defy coronavirus guidelines, but health experts say engagement is 'essential.' Here's how protesters and police can reduce risk.

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