Staff and visitors listen as President Donald J. Trump speaks with Judge Amy Coney Barrett during a ... [+]
It is becoming increasingly clear that not everyone who attended last Saturday’s White House event in the Rose Garden signed the guest list. Yes, when President Donald Trump introduced Judge Amy Coney Barrett as his Supreme Court pick, the Covid-19 coronavirus seemed to be quietly in attendance.
Since that event a number of attendees have revealed that they have tested positive for the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2). The tally so far includes University of Notre Dame President Reverend John I. Jenkins, Senator Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), former White House Advisor Kellyanne Conway, Trump’s campaign manager Bill Stepien, Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.), former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, and, of course, the big ones the President and the First Lady.
Pictures and footage from the event clearly show that attendees were not maintaining social distancing throughout. As has been broadcast over and over again since the beginning of the pandemic, the recommendation is staying at least six feet apart at all times and not six inches. Yet, the following photo from the event showed people sitting within six feet of each other:
With few wearing masks to protect against the coronavirus, Republican senators Rep. Deb Fischer ... [+]
As you can see, well over half of the people in the picture weren’t wearing masks. And even though the sixth person from the left in the second row was wearing a face covering, his nose didn’t appear to quite get the memo. Then there’s this example of mask use that never quite got out of hand:
As you can see, there was also a fair amount of hugging and handshaking going on during the event, which is like telling the virus, “come on, Barbie, let’s go party.” Hugging and handshaking is to social distancing what a bacon buffet would be to fasting. Just look at the firm gloveless handshake in the following photo:
Attorney General William Barr (R) shakes hands with another guest at the Rose Garden event. (Photo ... [+]
You could say, social distancing Barr none. And this handshake seemed pretty firm as well:
Faith and Freedom Coalition founder Ralph Reed (C) shakes hands with White House Chief of Staff Mark ... [+]
Umm, is this not 2020? We’re still in the middle of a pandemic and shaking hands was supposed to go the way of the Running Man dance. There are many other ways to greet or say goodbye to each other without physical contact. For example, there’s the salute, the bow, the thump your own chest, the head bob, the “you da man” or “you da woman” point, and the “you complete me” heart-shape with your fingers over your heart.
Why wasn’t there more social distancing and mask-wearing at this White House event? Well, the longstanding argument by some has been that White House personnel get tested frequently, potentially more frequently than anyone else.
That may sound impressive but it just isn’t enough. Testing for the virus daily is like checking whether your cat peed on your bed once a day. Checking will only show whether it happened. It will not prevent your cat from doing it in between checks. You’ve got to actually do something else to keep your cat from treating your pillow like a urinal.
Similarly, no frequency of testing alone will keep you from catching or spreading the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2). What if you were to start shedding the virus in between tests? A health care professional could follow you everywhere you go and stick a cotton swab up your nose every few hours, and even then you could still be on either the receiving or the giving end of the virus.
There’s no question that testing is an important part of the response to the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic. But it should be only one component of the response.
At this point, no measure will supplant social distancing. Testing, disinfecting, or even mask use won’t allow you to forego social distancing, whether it’s on a plane, at a school, in a restaurant, or in the White House. Without a vaccine available and with the SARS-CoV2 still actively spreading in the community, social distancing is the hot dog in a hot dog, the cheese in mac-and-cheese, and the avocado in avocado toast. It is not the only thing that you should do but unless you are in a social bubble where you are sure that no one has the virus, it is the most important component to preventing the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus.
So don’t let someone falsely reassure you that Covid-19 coronavirus testing can overcome the lack of social distancing and mask use. Even if they get really testy about it.
