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US students throw ‘coronavirus parties’ to infect guests, giving prizes to those who catch Covid-19 first

  • Organisers intentionally invite people who have tested positive
  • Attendees put money in a pot, and whoever catches disease first gets cash

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People dancing in a nightclub. Tuscaloosa officials said they originally did not think the “Covid-19 parties” were real. Photo: Shutterstock

Several US university students in an Alabama city organised “Covid-19 parties” as a contest to see who would get the virus first, officials said.

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Tuscaloosa City Councillor Sonya McKinstry said students hosted the parties to intentionally infect each other with the new coronavirus, news outlets reported.

McKinstry said party organisers purposely invited guests who tested positive for Covid-19. She said the students put money in a pot and whoever got the coronavirus disease first would get the cash.

“It makes no sense,” McKinstry said. “They’re intentionally doing it.”

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Tuscaloosa Fire Chief Randy Smith confirmed the incidents to the city council on Tuesday.

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