South Dakota sees 352% Covid surge in wake of biker event dubbed a 'super spreader' last year

[spanone]

South Dakota’s coronavirus cases have jumped by more than 300 per cent, in two weeks, following the famous Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, which saw more than 500,000 people descend on the town.

The Sturgis event contributes an estimated annual revenue of $800 million to the town of Sturgis, which has a population of around 6,600. According to New York Times coronavirus data, there has been a staggering 352 per cent increase in cases in the state in the past 14 days, averaging 243 cases and 123 hospitalisations daily.

The same festival last year was dubbed a “super spreader” event, as coronavirus cases accelerated following the rally.

“Any time you have a mass gathering of hundreds of thousands of people and then they return to their home states, you’re going to increase the likelihood of a ‘superspreader’ event,” Victor Huber, a biomedical sciences professor at the University of South Dakota, told NBC News.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/covid-surge-motorcycle-rally-dakota-b1908050.html

[OAITW r.2.0]

1. Too bad they all couldn't just stay in Sturgis, instead of bringing their diseases back with them.

That $800MM could help underwrite the healthcare costs...

[Carlitos Brigante]

2. I'm sure Gov. Crazy Eyes is gonna get right on that. nt

[former9thward]

3. So far these are not serious cases.

SD deaths are avering 0.75 a day. Hospitalizations are in the 120-130 a day which is what it was a week ago.

https://covid19.healthdata.org/united-states-of-america/south-dakota?view=resource-use&tab=trend&resource=all_resources

[Botany]

4. And people in S.D. still support Governor Noem?

Public gatherings, drug use, drinking, no masks, no vaccines, and the C-19 virus too.

[SWBTATTReg]

6. Pathetic, eh? The dollar and greed, over everything else, won there in South Dakota.

Damn the torpedoes, damn COVID, just bring them dollar bills into our state!

I wonder just how many people will get sick and/or die in SD before the rest of the state of South Dakota feels their negative impact, on getting their crops harvested, or anything else done in the state, all for a lousy few bucks over the spread of 1 week or so?

I know it's a lot of money but a lot of places nationwide have given up a lot too, in not holding their annual events, etc., to help fight the spread of COVID, and to see places like this still hold their events be so unfair, so selfish to the rest of us does rankle my bones (and in some cases, its going to sicken and / or kill innocent people).

[Botany]

7. Dr. Michael Osterholm, "Americans will now be in 2 groups those that get vaccinated and those ...

... that have or will get the disease. The virus will find you end of story." rough quote yesterday.

I'm at the point of "just let 'em die" and the more and the quicker they do the better.

[SWBTATTReg]

8. Sadly, I agree w/ your sentiment. The quicker the better for all of us in the long run.

[Merlot]

5. How does this math work? Who gets this money?

The Sturgis event contributes an estimated annual revenue of $800 million to the town of Sturgis, which has a population of around 6,600.

Is it business owners, gov't? do locals get any cut? Any how, there is no way that an event that brings that much revenue to a small town would be cancelled or restricted in any way. That's reality.

[Bengus81]

9. Business rake in the dough,sales tax money etc.....

Your right,it would never be canceled.

[Tomconroy]

11. There are a surprising number of bars in the area. I suspect

They make most of their money that week.

[TreasonousBastard]

12. Did a little snooping around and don't have all numbers but...

sales taxes slone run into millions. Tents and stalls by vendors are up to 20 grand. All this, plus permit fees etc go to the town or county.

And then, with that number of people, everyone has to eat and drink. Hundred bucks a day per person and you do the math.

[hatrack]

10. OK, so 123 hospitalizations (average) for 14 days equals 1,722 hospitalizations . . . .

$800 million divided by 1,722 comes to $464,576, which given the costs of weeks of intubation or hooking up the ECMO, doesn't seem like too much of a stretch.

Enjoy your revenue, South Dakota!