During a rally in Waterford, Michigan Trump claimed ‘You know, our doctors get more money if somebody dies from Covid’. Video / Donald Trump via Facebook
A new study from Stanford University has examined the effect of 18 of American President Donald Trump's rallies on the coronavirus pandemic in the United States.
The conclusions are stark. According to the study, the rallies "resulted in more than 30,000 incremental confirmed cases" and "likely led to more than 700 deaths".
The rallies in question happened between June 20 and September 22, all over the United States.
The researchers compared the rate of coronavirus infections in the counties hosting the rallies to that in comparable counties which didn't host one.
President Donald Trump arrives for a campaign rally at Eppley Airfield, in Nebraska. Photo / AP
It is important to note that we're not just talking about people literally getting infected at a rally. A person might contract the virus at a rally, then spread the virus to their family or workmates, who then infect other people in turn. The study was trying to track that spread.
Trump's rallies draw thousands of people and involve no social distancing. Few of the attendees wear masks.
The President frequently mocks Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden for holding small campaign events, something the Democrat says he does to comply with health guidelines.
According to a tally compiled by Reuters, the United States recorded 100,233 coronavirus cases yesterday, which is the largest daily number in any country during the pandemic.
The previous high was India, which reported 97,894 cases on a day in September.
The US has broken its own record multiple times in the last week, and its average daily infection number has never been higher.
Over the past two days, the number of daily infections shows they are effectively reporting at least one new case every second.
Donald Trump speaks during a campaign event in Michigan. Photo / AP
More than 40,000 Americans are currently hospitalised, and the ultimate worry is that deaths are about to spike, given they usually lag behind cases by several weeks.
The President continues to insist America is "rounding the turn". He frequently complains that the news media is focusing too much on the pandemic.
"You know, everything is Covid, Covid, Covid. You know that. You turn on the news, Covid, Covid, Covid, Covid, Covid. And you know, cases are up. Why are cases up? Because we test more than anyone in history," Trump said at a rally in Michigan yesterday.
He told the crowd – falsely – that coronavirus deaths were "way down".
