CHICAGO \u2014 They came hoping for Beyonc\u00e9. They left with Covid. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fresh off of a jam-packed week of Democratic National Convention events, reports of attendees\u2019 testing positive for Covid are rolling in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
They include members of Vice President Kamala Harris\u2019 campaign staff, who are now contending with sickness from Covid, according to two sources close to the campaign with knowledge of the cases. There is at least some concern the developments could affect staffing at events this week, they added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the sources said that so far, the aides’ symptoms they\u2019ve heard about have been mild, and a third person close to the campaign said there was no concern about staffing the events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since the convention wrapped up Thursday, various attendees and reporters have posted photos<\/a> of positive Covid results. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou put 20,000 people in an 18,000-person building, it\u2019s bound to happen,\u201d said Jaimey Sexton, a Chicago political consultant who attended the convention and was involved in multiple related events. Sexton said he knew of people who now have Covid from the convention and has heard of even more anecdotally. \u201cYou could ask anybody who was planning an event, they know somebody who has Covid,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The convention had overflow crowds at the United Center each day, particularly Thursday, the night Harris delivered her acceptance remarks. Before 8 p.m. that evening, organizers announced the venue would be closed off because it was at capacity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There was much buzz that night that a surprise guest was to take the stage and make a big splash. Rumors were rampant even before that night that pop star Beyonc\u00e9 was to appear. Harris has tapped Beyonc\u00e9’s hit \u201cFreedom\u201d as a theme song for her candidacy. At one point, TMZ reported<\/a> the Beyonc\u00e9 rumors were true \u2014 only to then retract the story. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMaybe the DNC surprise was the COVID we got along the way,\u201d NewsNation reporter Kellie Meyer posted on X<\/a>, alongside a photo of a positive Covid test result. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2020 \u2014 before a vaccine was available \u2014 Democrats canceled their in-person convention because of Covid. There were no health-related requirements for attendees, including testing or wearing of masks, before last week\u2019s convention. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Experts have detected a rise in cases this summer and even warned<\/a> of one of the most severe summer waves yet, mirroring a worldwide surge in infections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Spokespeople for the Harris campaign and the Democratic convention spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for comment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n