Protests and COVID-19 Transmission

In the wake of George Floyd’s murder by the Minneapolis police on May 25, protests around the nation (and around the world) began May 26 and continue to this day.

Based on common sense as well as the rationale provided in this article, one would expect there to be a rise in COVID-19 cases. However, given that it may take several weeks from the time someone is infected with SARS-CoV-2 to the development of symptoms to seeking healthcare to waiting for public health data to be updated, I will examine the numbers again in a week or two to see if we can detect a bump in the COVID-19 case counts beyond the baseline rates which were already on the rise before the protests began. I support the protests and hope that any related increase in COVID-19 cases will be below the limit of detection.

UPDATE 7/1/2020: An interesting research paper demonstrates that the Black Lives Matter protests were not associated with an increase in COVID-19 cases and in fact shows that in cities with protests, social distancing behavior actually increased—people spent more time at home on average.

Black Lives Matter Protests Visualized

The protests against racism and police brutality targeting black individuals has been taking place on a worldwide stage. The following map visualizes the distribution of protests around the world:



The following map visualizes the distribution of protests in the United States:



Additional data are presented in tabular format, click on the links for more information.

Aerial Photos of Black Lives Matter Plaza

On June 5, 2020, a two-block section of 16th Street NW in downtown Washington DC was renamed by Mayor Muriel Bowser to “Black Lives Matter Plaza” as part of ongoing protests against racism and police brutality aimed at black Americans. Earlier that day, the Department of Public Works painted a mural on the street with the words “Black Lives Matter” in 35-foot yellow capital letters. Today, June 8, Apple Maps not only reflects the new street name but also shows the newly painted mural from its aerial photos:



Google Maps reflects the new street name, but its photos have not yet been updated to include the mural:



There are many other mapping applications that may be updated with new images over time, so if you want to view them, enter GPS Coordinates 38.901317, -77.036539 and check for yourself.