260,000 New COVID-19 Cases May Have Resulted From Sturgis Motorcycle Rally

An analysis published on Tuesday showed that the massive motorcycle rally held last month in South Dakota might have been the reason for the 260,000 new COVID-19 cases reported recently.

The said number, which came from a paper that has not undergone peer-review yet, would signify the most prominent spreading occurrence of COVID-19 ever reported in the United States to date.

The Institute of Labor Economics published this new study, which was conducted by a team of economists at the University of San Diego, who investigated the "Sturgis Motorcycle Rally," which drew an approximate of roughly 460,000 individuals from August 7 to 16.

According to reports, the said assessment is a statistical estimation based on what the economists call anonymized cell phone data, documenting the arrival of non-residents in the town, and presented their place of origin.

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Increase in Foot Traffic

The data also presented an increase in foot traffic in the town's restaurants and bars, retail shops, entertainment venues, hotel establishments, and campgrounds.

According to reports, the study indicates that the bikers, in general, were not wearing face masks or shields, or practicing social distancing. 

The study authors, through the use of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, then presented that, one month after the rally, cases in the county, the location where the Sturgis Rally was held, increased by six or seven for every 1,000.

U.S. counties with the highest numbers of participants of the rally experienced an increase of up to 12.5 percent of COVID-19 cases compared to those that did not.

In their computations, the researchers indicated that 263,708 more COVID-19 cases in the said locations have been recorded and reported because of the said motorcycle rally.

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The 'Sturgis Motorcycle Rally'

Between early- and mid-August, almost half a million motorcycle riders reportedly gathered on Sturgis, South Dakota, for its "annual motorcycle rally."

In this big event, large crowds, combined with the minimal wearing of a mask and social distancing by participants, raised apprehensions that such an affair could "serve as a COVID-19 'super-spreader.'" 

This particular research is the first to discover the effect of the Sturgis Rally, specifically on the aspects of social distancing and the spread of infection brought by COVID-19.

Initially, through the use of anonymized data from cell phones via SafeGraph, Inc., researchers were able to document that smartphone pings from non-residents, as well as the foot traffic at the town's busy areas, rose considerably.

Another finding was that stay-at-home practice among the residents, as gauged by average hours spent at home, dropped. 

On August 21, CNN reported that according to public health officials, COVID-19 cases linked to the big event, specifically in South Dakota, had reached across state lines into Nebraska.

According to the news agency, state health officials announced that someone working at a tattoo shop in Sturgis tested positive for the virus and could have probably exposed others during last week's event.

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