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Georgia Infections Top 50K; Tear Gas Use Worries Expert

An Emory University infectious disease specialist says he has serious concerns that police spraying tear gas on protesters could spread the coronavirus. Meanwhile, the Georgia Department of Public Health reported Friday that coronavirus infections statewide have topped 50,000.

Credit AP Photo/Evan Vucci
Demonstrators, who had gathered to protest the death of George Floyd, begin to run from tear gas used by police to clear the street near the White House in Washington, Monday, June 1, 2020. Floyd died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers.

Emory's Dr. Jay Varkey said that mass arrests and confining people in small spaces dramatically increases the risk of infecting others with the coronavirus. He says that tear gas and other chemical agents causes people to immediately rub their eyes, putting demonstrators at risk of being infected. Varkey says he thinks law enforcement agencies should at least consider alternatives to tear gas and similar chemical agents during protests during the pandemic.

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