CLEVELAND — The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it is closely monitoring the demonstrations across America in the wake of George Floyd's death.
According to Doctor Nicholas Dreher, Medical Director Population Health Innovation Institute at MetroHealth Systems, it is not a matter of if there will be a spike, but when. He also says hospitals across Northeast Ohio are prepared and the hope is that it could be a small bump, which is a possibility.
"We at Metro absolutely support the voice people want to give. We absolutely support that. I want them to think past themselves because most of them are so energized about changing the world and they are like, I'm good, I'll tolerate it if I get COVID-19. I don't want them to think that way. I want them to think about the people they love that might get sick from them or the people they respect that might get sick from them."
For two weeks, thousands of protesters are making their voices heard throughout the country.
"You will probably see the bumps from now until the fourth of July if the protests end today. Now, every day they go on, it extends [the potential bumps] passed the fourth of July."
Doctor Dreher tells 3News that he is absolutely certain we will see a bump.
"[That is] because there are hundreds of thousands of people protesting and some of those people statistically have to be carrying it, whether they are symptomatic or not. And they are bumping next to people and coughing next to people or they are talking and yelling," said Dr. Dreher.
According to Dr. Dreher, wearing a mask and doing your best to socially distance yourself is the best defense. However, he says screaming can actually increase the spread because particles in our lungs travel further.
"Yelling and screaming simulates singing and singing, there has been some anecdotal analysis of some choirs where the disease spreads super-fast," he explains.
While some Governors in other states are urging protesters to get tested, Dr. Drayer says locally, there simply aren't enough tests.
"If we had more tests, we would do more and we should do more. If there were more available, I’d say that but right now you really have to be symptomatic or be a first responder to get tested without being symptomatic," said Dreher. "I tell people all of the time, if we start behaving like we did in 2019, Cleveland will look like New York in two months because there is more COVID-19 here in Ohio now than there was on Saint Patrick's Day."
He recommends quarantining for 14 days if you believe you have been exposed to COVID-19 during a demonstration.
“All of us having plans that if we have to increase the Emergency rooms even outside, we could do it,” said Dr. Dreher. “We would be prepared for a surge like that, that nobody wants to happen. We know bumps are going to happen and the reality is we think the bumps are going to stay within the realm of all the staffing and all the bed space we have now. We don’t think we are going to have to go into the extreme levels.”