ST. PAUL, Minn. – The linkage that a Stanford University found between so-called Trump “super-spreader” rallies and subsequent COVID flare-ups is “only the top of the iceberg,” according to a Minnesota Health Department spokesperson. Rallies in Bemidji and Mankato were among 18 in the nationwide Stanford study. Doug Schultz of the state health acknowledged, however, the full extent of the spread that result from rallies is hard to quantify. Schultz said that many people who develop COVID-19 are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms and do not seek treatment. Even those who test positive, he said, may not respond to contact tracing inquiries. Even so, state officials traced 16 infections and two hospitalizations to a Trump rally in Bemidji September 18. The Bemidji and Mankato rallies were outdoor events with hardly anyone wearing face masks and no social-distancing. Rallies by Trump challenger Joe Biden, on the other hand, including one in Duluth the same as the Trump’s Bemidji rally, complied with state masking and distancing and were followed by only one infection and no hospitalizations.
