Three distinct groups – the Capitol Police, protesters and members of Congress – “spent a lot of time indoors, without social distance, for long periods,” said Dr. Joshua Barocas, an infectious disease physician at Boston University. The melee was probably a super-propagating event, he added, “especially given the background of the highly transmissible variants that are circulating.”
Dr. Barocas was referring to a new highly contagious coronavirus variant, first identified in Britain. It was detected in several U.S. states, but it may well have spread across the country, making events like the Capitol rebellion even more risky, he said.
The idea that members of Congress may have been unmasked in the midst of an already difficult transfer of power, particularly disturbed some scientists. “I am concerned not only that this could lead to over-spreading, but also over-spreading for people who are elected officials,” said Dr. Tom Ingelsby, director of the Johns Hopkins University Health Security Center.
And infected members of Congress and the police may have spread the virus to each other while protecting themselves from violence, he noted.
Rep. Jake LaTurner, a Republican from Kansas, announced on Twitter Thursday morning that he had tested positive for the virus. Mr. LaTurner was locked up in the chamber with other members of Congress for much of the day.
At least a dozen of the nearly 400 lawmakers and officials who were huddled in a committee room refused to wear masks, even after receiving one, or used them inappropriately below the chin, said Representative Susan Wild, Democrat of Pennsylvania.
They met in a committee room that quickly became crowded, making social distance impossible, she said. Some of the lawmakers were unmasked and several were shouting, “The tension was high and people were shouting at each other.”