Coronavirus Update: Georgia Infections Top 50K; Tear Gas Use Worries Emory Expert

Demonstrators, who had gathered to protest the death of George Floyd, begin to run Monday from tear gas used by police to clear the street near the White House in Washington, D.C. Tear gas had been used in some protests in Atlanta. Tear gas and other chemical agents cause people to rub their eyes, putting demonstrators at risk of the coronavirus, Dr. Jay Varkey said.

Evan Vucci / Associated Press

Police could be spreading the coronavirus by spraying tear gas on demonstrators, an Emory University infectious disease specialist said Friday as the number of confirmed infections in Georgia surpassed 50,000.

Mass arrests and confining people in small spaces also dramatically increase the risk of infecting others with the coronavirus, Dr. Jay Varkey said Friday.

Tear gas and other chemical agents cause people to rub their eyes, putting demonstrators at risk of being infected, Varkey said.