Taylor Swift‘s Eras Tour may not have saved the Australian economy, but at least Swifties on this side of the world weren’t calling their COVID-19 infections “cute” and referring to them as “souvenirs”, which is what’s been happening in Spain.
ICYMI, there was a massive spike in COVID-19 infections after Swift played the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium on May 29 and 30, with one Swiftie trying to sell her positive COVID-19 test for €5000 (roughly $8100 AUD) on X (formerly Twitter).
Vendo COVID contagiado por Taylor Swift, 500€ + envío pic.twitter.com/9AYgAwnnW7
— Pauloma (@cecilos) June 3, 2024
One of the biggest Spanish fan accounts shared a poll asking fans if they’d fallen ill after attending an Eras Tour concert, with over 10,000 people responding.
“Did you go to the #MadridTSTheErasTour and did you take COVID, a virus or a cold home with you as a souvenir? Here’s a survey,” the translated tweet said.
35% of the replies came from fans who said yes, they were sick – with one saying they “spent [days] in pain” following the concert.
Taylor Swift performing in Madrid, Spain. (Image: Getty)
A graph shows a spike in hospital admissions in Madrid, with more people hospitalised due to COVID in June 2024 than back in January.
In Madrid more people hospitalized with covid in June than in January. This comes shortly after Taylor Swift’s series of concerts in the city https://t.co/9MA7FzF8Cu
— Nate Bear (@NateB_Panic) June 9, 2024
Meanwhile, Swifties have tweeted things like: “Taylor Swift is so cute – she included the new COVID variant as a surprise in the Eras Tour Madrid,” and “I have also been one of the lucky ones who got COVID from Taylor Swift in Lisbon”.
After reading some of these tweets, one furious X user (@pot8um) slammed the fandom for being “virus-spreading pick-me ass bitches”.
“Taylor Swift’s concert attendees are calling their Covid infections ‘souvenirs’ and ‘gifts’ from ‘mother’ and I’m supposed to NOT wanna launch myself into the sun?? You ignorant virus-spreading pick-me ass bitches??? Fuck y’all,” they wrote.
“Stop throwing money at already wealthy celebrities and endangering your health and the health of everyone around you!”
Others agreed, with one saying that “god celebrity worship has gotten out of control”, while another saying this is a “world of ew”.
A bunch of people from this crowd in Madrid got sick after attending the concert. (Image: Getty)
People respond to the uptick in COVID-19 infections associated with Taylor Swift concerts
A user on X suggested that there could be an increase in COVID-19 infections in Scotland soon, after Taylor Swift performed in Edinburgh over the weekend. Fingers crossed that doesn’t happen, but crowds plus a highly infectious disease doesn’t bode well.
Many other X users had strong opinions, with some saying the pop star should start including N-95 masks with her merch for sale.
Yesterday Taylor Swift performed in Edinburgh and I’m expecting to hear of a COVID surge as well now that all the fans have had a chance “to breathe the same air”. https://t.co/hv4ydPA1Z5 pic.twitter.com/CMEEyIRbmg
— Chisomo Kalinga, PhD (@ChisomoWrites) June 7, 2024
My mom (a retired microbiologist and public health researcher) just now re: Taylor Swift concerts causing Covid outbreaks: “Typhoid Taylor”. 😂🫠
— Ariane~I NEED A GI DOC IN YVR~K (she/her) (@arianek) June 9, 2024
Until we can mass educate swifties about harm reduction & preventing of viral transmission, Taylor Swift needs to stop touring. We can’t educate as fast as she is spreading COVID right now. https://t.co/5qhOdYPn1O
— Noah (They/Them) 🤟🏻🧏🏼♂️ (@NoahTzedek) June 9, 2024
#TaylorSwift could be modelling best practice with N95 masks as part of her merchandise. https://t.co/Stv7dagFTc
— Covid, Genocide, Climate Change #FederalICAC. (@Spockarama) June 8, 2024
Honestly, I’m kind of into the idea of pop star masks catching on. Being fashionable and safe at the same time? So much cuter than that pesky thing called COVID.
Feature image: Getty
