© 2024 Michigan State University Board of Trustees
Public Media from Michigan State University
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

January Auto Show Could Have Brought Coronavirus Early

Detroit auto show
File Photo
/
WKAR/MSU
The North American International Auto Show is one of the biggest in the world.

Moving the Detroit Auto Show to the summer this year might have helped the city avoid an earlier, and worse, Coronavirus outbreak.

The North American International Auto Show traditionally had come to Detroit in January, but last year, organizers decided to move the 2020 show to June. That means tens of thousands of global auto company officials, journalists and attendees were not squeezed into the TCF Center together this winter.

MSU infectious disease specialist Dr. Peter Gulick says no one would have been prepared for an outbreak in January, saying “just one case could have been enough to spark the whole process.”

“Had those cases come in that kind of an environment," Dr. Gulick adds, "that could have spread very, very quickly locally within the city of Detroit, nationally because of people coming from all over the country, and then internationally.”

Dr. Gulick speculates that Detroit might have been hit especially hard, and visitors exposed to the virus in the Motor City would have carried it back to their home states and countries.

The show which was slated for June has already been canceled. Instead, the TCF center is being converted into a field hospital to treat non-critical COVID-19 patients.

Scott Pohl is a general assignment news reporter and produces news features and interviews. He is also an alternate local host on NPR's "Morning Edition."
Related Content
Journalism at this station is made possible by donors who value local reporting. Donate today to keep stories like this one coming. It is thanks to your generosity that we can keep this content free and accessible for everyone. Thanks!