Donald Trump Supporter Wears Adult Diaper to Mock Coronavirus Fart Speculation

Although the coronavirus pandemic is very real and has killed over 100,000 Americans, some [...]

By Daniel S. Levine

Although the coronavirus pandemic is very real and has killed over 100,000 Americans, some supporters of President Donald Trump sought to mock the pandemic before a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma Saturday. One man wore a diaper over his pants with a printed piece of paper taped onto it reading, "Scientists say: [farting] spreads the virus so I COVID my a— to stop the spread!" This appears to be in reference to a U.K. tabloid headline about the coronavirus spreading through flatulence, but a Centers for Disease Control official said in May that is unlikely.

Brian Clothier, 61, used COVID instead of "cover" in his sign. He also added, "Pants just aren't enough!" Clothier included a website called "covidmybutt.com," but he did not actually register the website. So someone else did, creating a very rudimentary site quickly with a banner reading, "COVID-19 is real, don't be an idiot." The website maker also included a link to the CDC guidelines on the coronavirus, told people they should wear a mask and avoid large gatherings. At the end of the lists of things to do, the person added, "Vote Biden," referring to former Vice President Joe Biden, who is running against Trump.

Back in May, Jay Butler, the CDC deputy director for infectious diseases, brought up the possibility of using sewage systems to predict where coronavirus hot spots could be, according to audio from a meeting with private-sector representatives Politico obtained. One person asked Butler about wastewater. Butler noted there is "not a lot of evidence of transmission through stools" and said he was aware of a U.K. tabloid story speculating COVID-19 could be spread through farting. "There really is not a lot of science behind that," Butler said.

Even if farting was a way to spread the virus, most of us are already wearing "masks" of some kind that would help slow the spread. "Luckily, we wear a mask, which covers our farts all the time," Dr. Norman Swan said in a recent podcast for Australia's ABC News, reports Forbes. He was not referring to the same masks most of Trump's supporters were not wearing in Tulsa. Instead, he was talking about pants, dresses, underwear and other clothing we use to cover our behinds. Forbes also referred to a 2001 BMJ article on a test where a doctor had a person fart into a Petri dish with and without pants and it showed that farting without pants can transmit microbes.

There are now more than 2.24 million confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S., according to Johns Hopkins University. More than 119,000 Americans have died from complications of COVID-19. Six members of Trump's campaign staff tested positive for the coronavirus ahead of the Tulsa rally. The event is being hosted in an indoor, 19,000-seat arena.

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