You may have seen headlines stating the Sturgis rally was responsible to Covid destruction around the United States. A study from San Diego State proclaimed the rally was responsible for 266,796 cases and $12.2 billion in health care costs. Great headline but it isn’t true.

The study used cell phone data to track folks who travelled into Sturgis and then back home. They then attributed any growth in the Covid cases in the home community to those attending the Sturgis rally. In several of those home communities cases were flaring up prior to the rally but any growth that took place from the previous-rally totals got laid on the bikers.

Cases in South Dakota itself grew from 3.6 per thousand prior to the rally to 3.9 per thousand three weeks after the rally or about 3,200 to 3,440. NY state had more cases in the last week according to the Wall Street Journal.

The study’s authors attributed a cost of $46,000 per case even though most cases are mild or moderate.

I would link the story but it is on a pay site for the Journal.