Super-spreaders are individual people who, during an infectious disease outbreak, disproportionately infect a large number of contacts compared to average. They played a role in the 2003 SARS outbreak, 2014-2015 Ebola outbreak, and the 2015 MERS outbreak.
In addition to their significant impact, these outbreaks were all perpetuated by super-spreaders who disproportionately infect a high number of contacts and likely contribute to the speed and degree of the outbreak. As discussed in detail below, these outbreaks can be traced to one or more individuals who largely contributed to subsequent infections.
Probably the historical example people are most familiar with is the case of “Typhoid Mary”
Mary Mallon (September 23, 1869 – November 11, 1938), also known as Typhoid Mary, was an Irish cook believed to have infected 51 people, three of whom died, with typhoid fever, and the first person in the United States identified as an asymptomatic carrier of the disease.
And in the current COVID-19 outbreak, it again appears that the phenomenon of “super-spreaders” is playing a role in the disease’s spread.
But, certain people who become infected are so-called “super spreaders” and tend to spread the virus more rapidly than the average person.
“This person, who is kind of biologically radioactive, is in a position to actually transmit this virus to a considerable number of people vary readily,” said Dr. William Schaffner, the medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases and a professor in the division of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
For example, one patient who wasn’t originally suspected of coronavirus was admitted to the surgical department due to abdominal symptoms. During this time, the patient infected at least 10 healthcare workers and 4 other patients in the surgical ward.
As the last link says, “we still don’t fully understand why someone may be a ‘super spreader,’ and on top of that, we don’t find out until the damage is done.”
But with this in mind, let us consider the circumstances surrounding our current President, Donald Trump.
We know that he has been exposed, either directly or indirectly, to several individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 shortly after the exposure occurred.
Furthermore, as far as we know, Trump has not been tested, regardless of whether he is simply refusing to, or for some other reason. As far as we know, none of the officials around him or his close family members have been tested either. Testing would at least definitively show whether Trump has been infected or not, so from an objective standpoint, the expectation would be that there is every incentive to get tested. Even if he has absolutely no disregard for infecting others, you would think he would at least be concerned for his own well-being — but apparently even that basic level of vulnerability is unforgivable to this paragon of human excellence.
And despite all this, he seems to not have taken many of the precautions, or significantly altered his behavior — both to prevent being infected himself, but also potentially infecting others.
Trump shakes several guests' hands at coronavirus press conference, despite repeated advice not to
As the examples from the studies on super-spreaders in previous outbreaks, and the case of Typhoid Mary show, there are likely a lot of factors that go into whether a person disproportionately infects a large number of contacts. Whether or not you are actually infected, obviously, plays a big role in becoming one of these so-called super-spreaders.
But once there is a strong possibility that you have been infected, the willingness to continue with your same habits and behaviors, without any attempts at preventing spreading the virus, is just as obvious a serious problem waiting to burst forth.
With the current COVID-19 pandemic threatening the lives and well-being of millions of Americans, the Trump regime’s response has been, simply put, a disaster.
But one of the last ways you would expect an actual sitting US President to make a disease outbreak in this country possibly worse, is actually being a willing super-infecting vector for that very disease.
Let’s hope Trump is not the only one in that White House with plenty of hand sanitizer.