Surprisingly, research suggests that protests actually may have led to increased social distancing.
Protests against systemic racism held in 300-plus U. S. cities following the death of George Floyd did not cause a significant increase in coronavirus infections, according to a team of economists who have published their findings in a 60-page paper released by the National Bureau of Economic Research; these somewhat surprising results are supported by Covid-19 testing data in many populous cities where demonstrations were held.
The study’s conclusions are supported by Covid-19 testing data in many of the cities that were home to prevalent protesting. For instance, the Minneapolis Department of Health reported that more than 15,000 people were tested at centers set up in communities affected by the protests, and 1.7% of tests came back positive — below the statewide average of about 3.
