A riot in the middle of a pandemic: has the virus, too, stormed the Capitol?

Three separate groups – Capitol Police, rioters and members of Congress – “spent time indoors, without social distancing, for long periods of time,” said Dr Joshua Barocas, infectious disease physician at the ‘Boston University. The melee was probably a very common event, he added, “especially given the context of the highly transmissible variants going around.

Dr Barocas was referring to a highly contagious new variant of the coronavirus, first identified in Britain. It has been spotted in several US states but may well have spread across the country, making events like the Capitol Riot even more risky, he said.

The idea that members of Congress may have been exposed, in an already difficult transfer of power, particularly disturbed some scientists. “I’m concerned not only that this could lead to super spread, but also super spread to people who are elected officials,” said Dr. Tom Ingelsby, director of the Center for Health Security at Johns Hopkins University.

And infected members of Congress and law enforcement could have spread the virus to each other by protecting themselves from violence, he noted.

Kansas Republican Jake LaTurner announced on Twitter early Thursday morning that he had tested positive for the virus. Mr. LaTurner was locked in the bedroom with other members of Congress for much of the day.

At least a dozen of the roughly 400 lawmakers and staff huddled in a committee room refused to wear masks even after receiving one, or put them incorrectly under the chin, said Rep. Susan Wild, Democrat. from Pennsylvania.

They gathered in a committee room that quickly became crowded, making social distancing impossible, she said. Some lawmakers were exposed and several were shouting: “The tensions were high and people were yelling at each other.”