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‘It’s irresponsible’: Washington state sees sudden rise in Covid parties ‘It’s irresponsible’: Washington state warns against 'coronavirus parties'
(about 16 hours later)
Gatherings held with the intent of catching, and overcoming, coronavirus are jeopardizing public health says state official Health department says any gatherings where non-infected people reportedly try to contract virus represent public health risk
You can call them BYOC parties. That’s bring your own Covid-19. Washington health officials have warned residents against holding so-called “coronavirus parties” after receiving reports that non-infected guests were socialising with those who have tested positive for the virus, ostensibly in hopes of speeding up the process of catching and overcoming it.
Health officials in Walla Walla, Washington, are admonishing the sudden rise in so-called “Covid-19 parties” where non-infected guests mingle with those who have tested positive for the virus, ostensibly in hopes of speeding up the process of catching, and overcoming, the virus. “We’ve been getting reports of “coronavirus parties” where uninfected people are mingling with #COVID19 positive individuals intentionally to try to contract the virus. Bad idea!” said a tweet from Washington’s health department on Wednesday. “This is dangerous and puts people at risk for hospitalization or even death.”
“Walla Walla County health officials are receiving reports of Covid-19 parties occurring in our community, where non-infected people mingle with an infected person in an effort to catch the virus,” the county said in a press release Tuesday. John Wiesman, Washington state’s secretary of health, said in a statement: “It is unknown if people who recover from Covid-19 have long-term protection. There is still a lot we don’t know about this virus, including any long-term health issues which may occur after infection.
“This kind of unnecessary behavior may create a preventable uptick in cases which further slows our state’s ability to gradually re-open.” ​
Health officials in Walla Walla in south-east Washington had said in a statement earlier this week that the county had seen a sudden rise in so-called “Covid-19 parties” – but walked back those claims on Wednesday evening.
Meghan DeBolt, the director of Walla Walla’s department of community health, told the New York Times officials were still hearing reports of parties attended by people infected with the virus, but said she not have evidence that they, or other guests, were seeking to deliberately spread it.
As of Tuesday, 94 people in the county have tested positive for Covid-19, including employees who worked at a nearby Tyson Fresh Meats plant who were infected.As of Tuesday, 94 people in the county have tested positive for Covid-19, including employees who worked at a nearby Tyson Fresh Meats plant who were infected.
Some of those cases can be linked back to parties, Meghan DeBolt, director of the county’s Department of Community Health, told the Walla Walla Bulletin. Washington state, hit early and hard by the coronavirus, has tallied 15,185 cases and 834 deaths that have been attributed to the coronavirus.
“We don’t know when it is happening. It’s after the fact that we hear from cases. We ask about contacts, and there are 25 people because: ‘We were at a Covid party’.” She added: “It’s unacceptable. It’s irresponsible.” The idea is not wholly original. In years past, parents have brought children to “pox parties”, where children are deliberately exposed to others believed to have chicken pox.
Washington state, hit early and hard by the coronavirus, has tallied 15,185 cases and 834 deaths that have been attributed to the coronavirus.
The idea isn’t wholly original. In years past, parents have brought children to so-called Pox parties, where children are deliberately exposed to others believed to have chicken pox.
Concerns of intentional self-infection have surfaced as health authorities around the world consider the concept of “immunity passports”, which could enable those who test positive for Covid-19 antibodies to travel or return to work more quickly.Concerns of intentional self-infection have surfaced as health authorities around the world consider the concept of “immunity passports”, which could enable those who test positive for Covid-19 antibodies to travel or return to work more quickly.
But DeBolt says the inherent risk of intentionally exposing anyone to infection is compounded with Covid-19, in part because scientists don’t fully understand whether someone can be reinfected by the virus. But DeBolt says the inherent risk of intentionally exposing anyone to infection is compounded with Covid-19, in part because scientists do not fully understand whether someone can be reinfected by the virus.
Either way, said DeBolt, those who chose to attend parties are jeopardizing public health.Either way, said DeBolt, those who chose to attend parties are jeopardizing public health.
“It is not an innocent endeavor, by any means. It really sets us back. In reopening the county, we look at not only total case count, but if our community is being diligent” she told the Bulletin. “It is not an innocent endeavor, by any means. It really sets us back. In reopening the county, we look at not only total case count, but if our community is being diligent,” she told the Bulletin.
DeBolt said she plans to enlist law enforcement to scour and stamp out any future coronavirus parties. DeBolt said she plans to enlist law enforcement to scour and stamp out any future parties.
“This will delay our community being able to reopen and get our economy operating. This is stupid Walla Walla is better than that” said DeBolt. This article was amended on 7 May 2020. DeBolt had initially said Walla Walla had seen a sudden increase in “coronavirus parties” but later contacted media outlets to say it was not clear the parties were intentionally seeking to spread the virus.