College students in Alabama have been reportedly throwing COVID-19 parties to intentionally infect each other with the virus as a bet.
Tuscaloosa City Councilor Sonya McKinstry said students have been organizing “COVID parties” as a game to intentionally infect each other.
“They put money in a pot and they try to get COVID. Whoever gets COVID first gets the pot. It makes no sense,” McKinstry said. “They’re intentionally doing it.”
Tuscaloosa Fire Chief Randy Smith told the City Council on Tuesday that he has confirmed the report.
Smith said: “We had seen over the last few weeks parties going on in the county, or throughout the city and county in several locations where students or kids would come in with known positives,
“We thought that was kind of a rumor at first….we did some additional research….not only did the doctor’s offices help confirm it but the state confirmed they also had the same information,”
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The US currently has the highest number of COVID-19 infections and deaths in the world. Globally, 10,458,422 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed, while 511,082 people have died due to the disease.