A Man Spread COVID to 24 People By Doing This
Currently, our best method of determining whether someone has been infected with COVID-19 be it either pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic is via a test. However, over the course of the last year, it has been made clear that some tests are more reliable than others, and even the most accurate aren't 100 percent reliable. This is why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is so adamant about following the fundamentals, including social distancing, mask wearing, and avoiding large crowds of people. However, one California doctor believed he could create an "immunity bubble" and safely host an in-person conference. As a result, he added 24 infections to the already overwhelmed COVID count in Los Angeles. Read on to find out what happened—and to ensure your health and the health of others, don't miss these Sure Signs You've Already Had Coronavirus.
The Doctor Tried to Create an "Immunity Bubble" But 24 People Caught COVID
Peter Diamandis, a physician, engineer, executive, and scientist, has hosted an annual tech conference, Abundance 360 Summit, for several years, charging guests a hefty price to attend. Due to the pandemic, he was forced to modify his plans. However, instead of canceling the event, he came up with an idea to scale it down and create a risk-free environment.
"I thought creating a COVID 'immunity bubble' for a small group in a TV studio setting was possible," he wrote in a blog post last week. "I was wrong."
According to Diamandis, people were so desperate to attend the event despite the pandemic, they were willing to fork over more than $30,000 per ticket. "Having been socially isolated for almost a year, it was understandable that people wanted to connect in person," Diamandis wrote.
He opted to host the event outdoors, which was physically attended by 30 guests, 20 members of his support staff and instructors, and 35 audiovisual team members, who worked to stream the event for hundreds of others to watch online.
To ensure a seemingly safe and COVID-free environment, he relied on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, requiring everyone to take a test 72 hours prior to the January 23 event and then another on arrival. He also maintains that everyone was tested at least five times during the conference. There were also four doctors on site, and "immunity boosting" intravenous vitamins were provided. "As a result, we felt awesome, we felt safe," he said. "But I was wrong."
According to the Los Angeles Times, two days after the conference ended, the first person, a staff member tested positive. Eventually, around 25% of those who attended tested positive.
"I allowed myself a false (and dangerous) sense of security based on the belief that sequential PCR testing serves as a safety mechanism … which I can now tell you is a fallacy," Diamandis wrote.
He told the media outlet that none of the cases, including his, were serious and maintains that "virtually all have fully recovered."
RELATED: If You Feel This, You May Have Already Had COVID, Says Dr. Fauci
How to Avoid COVID-19
This should serve as a reminder that even if you or someone else tests negative for COVID-19, it doesn't ensure they are healthy. So follow Fauci's fundamentals and help end this surge, no matter where you live—wear a face mask that fits snugly and is double layered, don't travel, social distance, avoid large crowds, don't go indoors with people you're not sheltering with (especially in bars), practice good hand hygiene, get vaccinated when it becomes available to you, and to protect your life and the lives of others, don't visit any of these 35 Places You're Most Likely to Catch COVID.
