Sturgis bike rally not the 'super spreader' predicted by the media

Brad Slager:

Looks like you cannot use the term ‘’super’’ — and barely even ‘’spreader’’ — with these numbers.

When the annual summer migration by motorcycle enthusiasts to Sturgis, South Dakota took place this month many in the press were aghast. More than 10 people were arriving, few were distancing, masks were scarce — it was a damned nightmare of liberty taking place! The people whose livelihoods have become hinged on getting Joe Biden elected, and thus extending our 2-week curve-bending lockdowns, were rubbing hands with expectant glee.

Well a fortnight later,and CBS News has arrived with their lecturing, hectoring report on the calamitous fallout from this disaster in the making. Based on the AP report, CBS was in full scorn mode, delivering all the drama and tremulous prose to intone just how tragic this event became.

The annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota drew hundreds of thousands of bikers to the small town earlier this month — despite coronavirus concerns. Now, about three weeks after the rally kicked off, the repercussions are starting to become clear.

Oh dear. This…this sounds dire! They ignored concerns! There were REPERCUSSIONS!!

While bikers ride in open air, the rally also attracts huge crowds of patrons to bars, stores and other businesses around Sturgis where coronavirus can spread more easily. Some safety measures, like sanitizing sidewalks, were put in place, but masks were not required.’’

Recall all of the promise of this gathering becoming a Super-Spreader event?! Recall the predictions this would generate widespread contamination across untold states, and that it would likely lead to creating another spike in cases, certain to generate the need for more lockdowns?!?! So tells us, just how many have come down with the dreaded virus? HOW – MANY?!?!

That total is…100.

Well…all right, that seems a little, a little bit high – right? Um, not enough to warrant such a condescending tone in reportage here. See, despite the pandemic, the warnings, and all of the cautionary reporting for the past few months, this year’s Sturgis Rally saw only a slight dip in attendance. After 10 days it was estimated that over 460,000 attended the event this year. Not far from half a million people road into town. That led to —

One…Hundred…cases.

This translates to roughly one case of positive testing for every 4,600 people. Considering what takes place at this event I think it is safe to say there were more cases of chlamydia coming out of the festivities. But the press is going to try selling us on the concept that this was a devastating result. Just keep in mind, for months there has been ZERO concern over the numerous protests that have happened. Try to imagine going up to a reporter and telling them that a protest with 5,000 people had led to 2 cases of Covid being spread. They would look at you with the same dead-eyed expression they have when the latest positive jobs report is released.

And speaking of the press ignoring how protests helped spread the virus, to lend some perspective there was a quaint little story out of Miami. The Chief Of Police there reported that after his department had been tested they had a period with no cases. Then the protests which erupted across the nation were realized in Miami as well. Following his need to employ protest response teams his department then contracted 31 cases of coronavirus.

Miami’s protests lasted for only a matter of days, and involved crowd sizes that were a fraction of the Sturgis population this month. Still, emerging from that small cluster you had one third of the amount of cases seen from the bikers. And this was only at one protest. Factor in all the other cities which held far larger gatherings, and you can see where the media’s desire to overlook that contribution to the pandemic can be a major dose of malpractice.
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This is a paltry number of cases compared to the numbers that arose after the George Floyd funeral in Houston.  Still, CBS tried to pump the event as a spreader despite the relatively small amount of cases.  Perhaps they should study biker immunity.