Benjamin Radford of the Center For Inquiry (CFI) addresses recent rumors concerning Covid-19 Parties:
So what about the widely-reported recent covid parties in Kentucky, Washington, and Alabama?
Well, evidence of the coronavirus parties that Kentucky governor Andy Beshear mentioned never materialized, and Beshear never provided any follow up information or details on what, exactly, he was referring to.
The reports from Washington state turned out to be a mistake. As The New York Times reported, “officials retracted those comments and said the so-called Covid-19 parties may have been more innocent gatherings. Meghan DeBolt, the director of community health for Walla Walla County, said county officials were learning more about the cases that have emerged from the recent social gatherings. She said they were still hearing reports of parties where infected people were present but do not have evidence that the people who became ill after the gatherings had attended out of a desire to be exposed.” In other words, young people were recklessly gathering at parties—something happening all across the country and having nothing to do with covid parties. …
The reports have all the typical ingredients of unfounded moral panic rumors: anonymous sources sharing stories and warnings online, soon legitimized by local officials (teachers, police, school districts, governors, etc.) who publicize the information out of an abundance of caution. Journalists eagerly run with a sensational story, and there’s little if any sober or skeptical follow-up.
It’s important to note that Radford doesn’t deny they may occur, but rather, to use his words: Is it a Thing? If it follows the usual pattern, this is more about the people in power, whether political or moral, thinking perhaps a little less of their people than they should. It happens.
The folks at CFI, now publisher of Skeptical Inquirer, are more than just buzz-kills for UFO groupies and Sasquatch lovers. They actually publish studies and articles on the sociology behind many of these phenomena in an effort to understand why people sometimes believe the silliest things. Bradford’s article a good take on moral panics and Covid-19.
And I always enjoy each issue of Skeptical Inquirer.
