Remember back in 2020 when it seemed like every blue-check liberal and journo was flipping out over photos from that Ozark pool party? There were a whole bunch of tweets like this:
Remember this #Ozark pool party in the future when you ask the question why?
The waves of #COVID19 we will see in communities across America can be prevented. pic.twitter.com/y4oU9PACEn
— Joseph Sakran (@JosephSakran) May 24, 2020
And this:
we can be mad at people ignoring social distancing guidelines all we want but if in 14-18 days none of those ozark pool party people are on ventilators, they win.
— caleb hearon (@calebsaysthings) May 25, 2020
But, surprise! None of those apocalyptic scenarios played out:
It seems that there are no cases from the dreaded Ozark pool party where there was at least one infected person likely at peak of infectiousness It was 10 days ago, so may still see cases. But please folks: just don't shame and disappear. Follow up. https://t.co/wsNLbH3cLN
— zeynep tufekci (@zeynep) June 5, 2020
And that’s been true over and over and over again:
I've been following the data for a whole year. "You'll see" has been said again and again. Ozark pool party (nothing happened). Florida beach shaming (it was fine). The places that encourage outdoors will do better. Scolding people outdoors and driving them indoors will be worse.
— zeynep tufekci (@zeynep) February 7, 2021
Now, that doesn’t mean superspreader events don’t happen. There’s one going on in D.C. right now and it’s tied to the Gridiron dinner. The latest his 53 people have Covid after attending the black-tie gala:
NEW: Gridiron organizers say that 53 people contracted covid after their annual dinner on Saturday.
— Annie Linskey (@AnnieLinskey) April 8, 2022
Whoops:
The number of people who tested positive for the coronavirus after attending the elite Gridiron Club dinner in Washington rose to 53 on Friday, all but confirming that the April 2 event marked a significant outbreak. https://t.co/aZM4sv1ZXC
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) April 9, 2022
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, who didn’t attend the dinner, tested positive for Covid two days after that photo:
FYI the photo is not from the Gridiron dinner, which Nancy Pelosi did not attend. She tested positive for Covid two days after this pictured event at the White House. https://t.co/ivWx4OVXfp
— Patt Morrison (@pattmlatimes) April 9, 2022
You’d think team Biden would be taking extra precautions, but nope:
President Joe Biden has tested negative for COVID-19 despite coming in close contact with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi who has tested positive. National Correspondent @Logan_Ratick reports.
MORE: https://t.co/srgOxISJWT pic.twitter.com/Qr4zYUc45Z
— Newsmax (@newsmax) April 8, 2022
Keep hugging!
"Can I hug ya?" — President Biden to newly confirmed SCOTUS Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson pic.twitter.com/UTfGfRKXuC
— The Recount (@therecount) April 8, 2022
Of course, now that it’s Dems and journos and such getting Covid and not the unwashed masses in an Ozark pool or on a Florida beach, we’re being told that “This is our new normal — one that’s based on individuals being thoughtful about their own risks and the risks they pose to others”:
The Gridiron Club dinner was probably a #covid19 superspreader.
But events like this should still go on.
This is our new normal — one that’s based on individuals being thoughtful about their own risks and the risks they pose to others.🧵 @postopinions https://t.co/E4MHZfV4UH
— Leana Wen, M.D. (@DrLeanaWen) April 7, 2022
Millions of us were calling for this for the past 18 months, so, welcome to the party? Amazing. *Now* they say that “people who want more protection can choose to wear a high-quality mask” instead of having EVERYONE wear bandanas and such and claiming they work:
Event organizers should decide the level of risk they can tolerate and the precautions they wish to have.
Requiring proof of vaccination helps, as does same-day rapid testing of attendees.
People who want more protection can choose to wear a high-quality mask.
/2
— Leana Wen, M.D. (@DrLeanaWen) April 7, 2022
If you go to a large event, take a rapid test before visiting an immunocompromised relative. If you have a newborn or live with someone vulnerable, ask others to test before visiting. To be extra safe, request that they reduce risky activities for 3 days, then test.
/3
— Leana Wen, M.D. (@DrLeanaWen) April 7, 2022
If you are older or have medical problems that make you more susceptible to severe illness, have a plan for what happens if you get covid-19.
Are you eligible for monoclonal antibodies & antivirals? Where can you access these treatments, including after hours/on weekends?
/4
— Leana Wen, M.D. (@DrLeanaWen) April 7, 2022
Accepting that #covid19 infections will be part of our lives doesn’t mean that we are giving up. Rather, it means acknowledging that we finally have the tools to live with it, and that people will make different choices from our own. @postopinions https://t.co/E4MHZfV4UH
/END
— Leana Wen, M.D. (@DrLeanaWen) April 7, 2022
Or. . .
It does seem more likely that if D.C. cases continue to climb, the city will go into some sort of lockdown again:
Is the Gridiron superspreader event a cautionary tale — or a model?
Beltway wonders: Does Gridiron outbreak mean a return to COVID lockdowns?https://t.co/9dMc1ab8MW
— Ed Morrissey (@EdMorrissey) April 8, 2022
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