Unzipped Parties

“We’ve been getting reports of ‘coronavirus parties’ where uninfected people are mingling with #COVID19 positive individuals intentionally to try to contract the virus. Bad idea! This is dangerous and puts people at risk for hospitalization or even death.” This tweet was sent by the United States Department of Health on May 6, 2020. It was an effort to debunk ideas promoted all over the world by anti-vaccine conspiracists, who denied even the existence of the pandemic, and herd immunity theories, in which people deliberately expose themselves to coronavirus to provoke an immune response—often with disastrous consequences. But, mostly, the tweet resonated with an audience captivated by recent clips of young spring breakers dancing in summery destinations, and who thought they were safe because of their age (following the false claim that COVID-19 doesn’t affect children and teenagers) and because government officials allowed them amidst fears of an economic backlash on the tourist industry if these parties were shut down. After months of lockdown, social distancing, and quarantine measures, these parties looked like an alternative present. Media uproar followed quickly.