Trump's rallies led to 30K cases

Washington: About 18 election rallies by Donald Trump are estimated to have led to more than 30,000 confirmed cases of corona and likely claimed over 700 lives, a study by Stanford University researchers said, stressing that the communities where the US President's rallies took place "paid a high price in terms of disease and death."

In the study titled 'The Effects of Large Group Meetings on the Spread of Covid-19: The Case of Trump Rallies', researchers concluded held between June 20 and September 22 "ultimately resulted in more than 30,000 incremental confirmed cases of Covid-19" and "likely led to more than 700 deaths", which may not necessarily have been among attendees.

"Our analysis strongly supports the warnings and recommendations of public health officials concerning the risk of Covid-19 transmission at large group gatherings, particularly when the degree of compliance with guidelines concerning the use of masks and social distancing is low.

The communities in which Trump rallies took place paid a high price in terms of disease and death," the researchers said.