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<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="23944870" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sonya-Moore" source="keywords">Sonya Moore</keyword> decided that if Trump won in 2016, she would leave the US.</li><li>She followed through and has been living abroad for seven years.</li></ul>"If Trump wins this election, I'm <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-reelected-americans-are-planning-to-flee-in-droves-2024-3">moving out of the country</a>." I said those words in November 2016. So did a lot of other Americans: so many, in fact, that <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/canadian-immigration-site-crash-election-2016-11">Canada's immigration website crashed</a> as votes were being tallied due to increased traffic. No joke. I don't know how many others <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/americans-who-left-us-because-of-trump-talk-biden-presidency-2020-12">followed through on that declaration</a>, but I did. Trump won the election, and 9 months later, I left the US. Full disclosure: Trump becoming president was not the only reason I left — it was also about being fed up with my corporate job, coupled with a strong desire to explore the world. I was 37, single, with no children or pets, so I was free to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/working-mom-quit-job-expat-move-abroad-qatar-singapore-2023-12">quit my job</a>, uproot myself, and take off. I did own a house at the time, which I sold a few months after I left. Upon my departure, I didn't have much of a plan other than the intention to spend some time slowly exploring Asia and teaching English when I needed to make money. This no-plan thing was out of character for me, but I was very comfortable with <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/southeast-asia-travel-mistakes-packing-weather-clothing-traditions-medicine-2024-4">solo international travel</a>, thanks to previous study abroad experiences and 14 years of intensive overseas work-related travel. <div type="image" title="Sonya Moore in Siem Reap, Cambodia" height="1280" width="1600" msid="115071450" hostid="261"></div><h2>The move opened a new chapter in my life</h2>As months unfolded, I discovered that when you leave space for it, life guides you to the places, people, and opportunities that are meant for you. Seven years later, I'm still living <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boomer-couldnt-afford-retirement-in-california-moved-abroad-travel-happy-2024-10">happily outside the US</a>. While my decision to leave opened up a horizon of experiences beyond my wildest dreams and led me to the man of my dreams, it hasn't all been a bed of roses. The first year, I lived off savings while traveling slowly through Asia. I started my travels in India, where I spent 10 days at a silent meditation retreat, attended teachings by the Dalai Lama, and took a <keyword id="20626363" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="yoga-teacher-training" source="keywords">yoga teacher training</keyword>. I promptly got hooked on teaching yoga. After four months in India, I continued <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-to-pack-traveling-in-southeast-asia-singapore-thailand-bali-2023-9">making my way through Asia</a> for eight more months. I swam in the crystal clear waters of the Maldives, visited healers in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/american-family-kids-bali-decompress-relocate-slow-life-work-remote-2024-10">Bali</a>, witnessed breathtaking sunrise views from mountaintops in Laos, went island-hopped through the Philippines, rode motorbikes around Thailand's islands, and discovered ancient pagodas in Myanmar The cost of living in much of Asia is so low that savings can stretch a long way. I have high standards for my accommodations, and while traveling, I usually spent around $20 to $25 per night on hotels. Lower-maintenance friends of mine found simpler places for $6 per night in India. Meals usually cost around $3. After six weeks in India, I considered a lunch bill of $5 to be expensive. <h2>There have been times along the way when I've felt lost </h2>From time to time, I experienced stretches of feeling <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/relocation-moved-to-milan-living-abroad-emotionally-exhausting-unspoken-truths-2023-9">unsettled and lacking a sense of purpose</a>. Over the years, I learned that those periods of doubt and uncertainty will continue to surface. But I also learned to just keep trusting, and the way forward would eventually reveal itself. People often ask me if I was ever afraid while <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-women-need-to-know-traveling-solo-southeast-asia-tips-2022-12">traveling alone through Asia</a>. I never was — except a couple of times in India when riding on some precariously high Himalayan roads with no guardrails. But of people? I never had a reason to be. After a year away, I found an opportunity to teach yoga in a small mountain town in Myanmar. Life there was quiet, simple, and beautiful. I lived there for 9 months, and I was profoundly happy most of the time. But there were times <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/loneliness-how-to-make-friends-remote-worker-freelancer-new-city-2024-2">I felt lonely</a>. The locals were sweet and kind, with love in their eyes and actions, but I missed friends who spoke my language fluently, with whom I could have deep conversations over a glass of wine. And the dating scene? Nonexistent. <div type="image" title="Sonya Moore kissing a man at the airport" height="2118" width="1754" msid="115071453" hostid="261"></div><h2>I found love during my travels</h2>Another yoga teaching opportunity took me to Siem Reap, Cambodia. Siem Reap is not a big city, but after my small-town Myanmar life, it felt like Manhattan. There were so many restaurants, bars, social events, friends, and even some attractive single men. I fell in love with the town, the quality of life, and the locals. It was easy to get a tourist or work visa to live here long term, and it was almost as inexpensive as India and Myanmar. I was living in Siem Reap when COVID-19 hit. By that time, I was in a <keyword id="20752574" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="long-distance-relationship" source="keywords">long-distance relationship</keyword> with a French man I met during my travels. After the closed borders of the pandemic kept us apart for 7 months, I moved to France to be with him. Our story was long and winding, but it felt like destiny. He <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/my-partner-couple-travel-together-full-time-one-date-2024-5">loves global travel</a> like I do. We've been together for four years and are living together in Papua New Guinea. Our plan is to go back to a nomadic slow-travel lifestyle. My career has gradually evolved to encompass creative pursuits that light me up inside: retreats, writing, photography, and yoga. I am deeply grateful to my former self for <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/live-abroad-cheap-low-cost-living-high-quality-life-2024-1">choosing to leave the US</a>. I sometimes miss family and friends, but thanks to technology, our connection stays alive across the distance, and I go back to visit once a year. I still love America and feel lucky to have been born and raised there. But there's a big world out there waiting to be discovered. Do you have a personal essay about relocating to Asia that you want to share? Get in touch with the editor at <a target="_blank" href="mailto:akarplus@businessinsider.com">akarplus@businessinsider.com</a>. November 11, 2024 — An earlier version of this story mentioned Trump becoming president was not the reason Moore left, it was not the only reason.

I swore I would leave the US if Trump won the 2016 election. Here's how that worked out for me.

Legendary <keyword id="19918921" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hollywood-actor" source="keywords">Hollywood actor</keyword> <keyword id="20740436" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Al-Pacino" source="keywords">Al Pacino</keyword>, known for his iconic roles in The Godfather trilogy and Scarface, recently opened up about a terrifying moment during the <keyword id="19897423" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="COVID-19" source="keywords">COVID-19</keyword> pandemic when he thought he had "experienced death." The 84-year-old actor, in an interview with <keyword id="20038431" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="People-magazine" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="People magazine" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="People magazine">People magazine</keyword>, recounted how he fainted while battling the virus in 2020 and was left questioning his very existence when a nurse attending to him couldn’t detect a pulse. Pacino revealed that it was his "great assistant" Michael Quinn who quickly acted, summoning paramedics to his <keyword id="19914983" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Los-Angeles" source="keywords">Los Angeles</keyword> home. "He got the people coming, because the nurse that was taking care of me said, 'I don't feel a pulse on this guy,'" Pacino recalled, describing the scene as something straight out of a movie. For a brief moment, the actor believed he had passed away. "I thought I experienced death," Pacino said, "because how did all those people gather together? There was an ambulance in front of my house, six paramedics in my living room, and two of my doctors in space suits. I opened my eyes and thought, 'What happened to me?'" But despite the dramatic circumstances, Pacino doesn’t seem too shaken by the ordeal. "Everybody thought I was dead. I didn't," he said. "If I was dead, I fainted. And when I came to, it was all gone." Quoting Shakespeare's famous line from Hamlet—“To be, or not to be”—Pacino mused on the fragility of life but admitted the experience didn’t leave any lasting change on how he lives. When asked whether the health scare had any effect on his outlook, Pacino simply responded, "Not at all." Pacino, who has lived a life filled with memorable roles, fame, and critical acclaim, seems to be taking this near-brush with death in stride. In fact, he’s keeping busy, with his upcoming memoir *Sonny Boy* on the horizon and a role in <keyword id="19920478" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Johnny-Depp" source="keywords">Johnny Depp</keyword>'s directorial project *Modi - Three Days on the Wing of Madness*, which is set for a December 5 release. While many may see such a health scare as a turning point, Pacino remains remarkably unchanged by it. His outlook on life and death, much like his characters on screen, is marked by a sense of calm amidst the chaos. Whether fainting during a pandemic or standing before the camera, Pacino's resilient spirit continues to define him as one of Hollywood's most enduring stars.

'I thought I experienced death': Al Pacino talks about battling Covid-19

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Brian Chesky, a former hockey player and industrial design student, is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.forbes.com/profile/brian-chesky/?sh=67d0629444d3">now worth $7.9 billion</a>.</li><li>Chesky started Airbnb after renting out his apartment to conference-goers who couldn't find a hotel.</li></ul>Brian Chesky has helped Airbnb bounce back from many obstacles — and built his Silicon Valley legacy along the way.The now-43-year-old CEO majored in industrial design at the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design and also dabbled in hockey and bodybuilding in his 20s.After graduation, an idea he hatched with his San Francisco roommate Joe Gebbia blossomed into tech unicorn Airbnb, which has positioned Chesky as one of Silicon Valley's key players.As of August 2024, Airbnb is worth nearly $73 billion. It had its first profitable year in 2022, and has become synonymous with short-term rentals across the US.Still, the company's stock fell a record 14% in the second quarter of 2024, and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/airbnb-stock-price-consumer-demand-slowing-inflation-travel-pandemic-spending-2024-8">Airbnb noted in its earnings call</a> that travelers aren't booking as many stays.Chesky owns an estimated 11% of the short-term rental giant. His current net worth is $7.9 billion, according to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.forbes.com/profile/brian-chesky/?sh=67d0629444d3">Forbes</a>, which also ranked him as one of the most eligible billionaires in the world alongside Kim Kardashian and Elon Musk.Here's how Brian Chesky, an upstate New York native, became one of the richest young tech founders in America.<h2 id="d229cff2-2c44-4ed3-928c-6af27d384255">Before running Airbnb, Chesky attended art school</h2>Chesky grew up in Niskayuna, New York, north of Albany. He was into hockey, and he also liked to draw and design new versions of Nike sneakers, which turned into an interest in art.Chesky's high school yearbook quote was, "I'm sure I'll amount to nothing." He thought it was funny — his dad didn't.In 1999, Chesky attended Rhode Island School of Design, where he served as captain of the hockey team and studied industrial design.At RISD, Chesky met Joe Gebbia, with whom he would eventually cofound Airbnb. Right before graduation, Gebbia reportedly pulled Chesky aside and said, "Before you get on the plane, there's something I need to tell you. We're going to start a company one day, and they're going to write a book about it," Fortune <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://fortune.com/longform/brian-chesky-airbnb/">reported</a>.<h2 id="abd9e7b9-adfe-4a41-abd9-bce2ff8658fb">It all started as a quick way to make cash</h2>He eventually moved to San Francisco and in with Gebbia, but the two unemployed grads soon ran out of cash.Then, when a design conference came to town in October 2007 and caused all the hotels to sell out, Gebbia pitched Chesky the idea of renting out their space to those who couldn't find a place to stay — a "designer's bed and breakfast."The roommates ended up housing three people that weekend, offering up air mattresses and floor space, as well as Pop-Tarts for breakfast.A few months later, Gebbia and Chesky were joined by their engineer friend, Nathan Blecharczyk. Together, the three guys started what was then called <a target="_blank" href="http://Airbedandbreakfast.com">Airbedandbreakfast.com</a> in August 2008. Chesky "gravitated naturally to the role of leader," Fortune wrote in 2015.<h2 id="730ed8fb-268e-48f2-8b59-8183521d5ee6">Things took off for Airbnb in the 2010s</h2>Since then, Airbnb has not only shortened its name but has listings in more than 220 countries worldwide. The company has served an estimated 1.5 billion guests since its 2008 launch.In 2015, Chesky was named as one of the most influential people alive in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://time.com/collection/2015-time-100/">Time 100</a>. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jony-ive-airbnb-brian-chesky-time-100-list-2015-4">Apple's former design chief, Jony Ive,</a> wrote at the time that Chesky's "audacity is fabulous."Chesky is not married, though he was previously in a relationship with artist Elissa Patel. He has two golden retrievers named Sophie and Sandy.<h2 id="38a076e1-a0d8-421f-9da4-2059bc3e11b6">The pandemic caused ups and downs for the company</h2>Fast forward to February 2020, when cancellations began rolling in due to a mysterious virus. Chesky and his team were three weeks away from filing for Airbnb's IPO.The early days of the pandemic seemed grim. Airbnb's revenue plummeted 80% due to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/airbnb-ipo-goldman-sachs-pandemic-2022-7">COVID-related travel restrictions</a>. The company burned through its cash reserves and opted to raise $2 billion in debt and equity financing to stay afloat. Its valuation, previously $31 billion, slipped to $18 billion.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/airbnb-boss-laid-off-staff-pandemic-asked-ceos-hire-thousands-2023-10">Airbnb laid off 1,900 employees</a>, about 25% of its full-time staff. Employees said they felt betrayed, but Chesky was also praised for his handling of the situation. Workers were given generous severance packages, and Chesky offered to help find them jobs elsewhere.He reflected on the firings during an appearance on <a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ia6Di_ytiSE">The Diary of a CEO podcast with Steven Bartlett</a> in 2023."This is how I want to be remembered. I only remember that when I'm in peril, we're in our darkest hour, I'm not just worrying about how we will survive, I'm trying to call CEOs of other companies to see if they can hire our people," Chesky said.But then travelers burned out from lockdown turned to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vacation-rentals-jump-127-percent-april-may-domestic-travel-surge-2020-5">Airbnb over traditional hotels</a>. Bookings bounced back by as much as 127% between April 2020 and May 2020.<h2 id="06fce8ec-091e-4bbf-a018-d35129707d79">Airbnb goes public</h2>Airbnb went public on December 10, 2020, under the Nasdaq ticker symbol ABNB. Barron's called it a "blockbuster" IPO. On its first day of trading, the company was valued at $86 billion, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/airbnb-ipo-valuation-tops-three-hotel-chains-combined-opening-day-2020-12">more than hotel rivals Marriott, Hilton, and Intercontinental combined</a>.Between 2020 and 2022, when interest rates were relatively low, many people bought homes to use as <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/millennials-first-homes-are-ones-they-rent-out-on-airbnb-2022-4">investment properties</a>, planning to rent them out on Airbnb and other short-term-rental sites to help cover their mortgages or simply make extra money.Demand for travel and experiences surged— so much so that Airbnb recorded its first profitable year in 2022, with a $1.9 billion profit. (It lost $352 million in 2021.)<h2 id="08c2048b-dd4b-4ead-ac82-e1a390b2d4e2">Chesky gives back often</h2>Chesky and Airbnb's two other cofounders publicly signed the Giving Pledge in 2016, a philanthropic initiative started by <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/billionaires-join-the-bill-gates-and-warren-buffet-giving-pledge-to-give-away-their-wealth-2016-6">Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, and Melinda French Gates</a>. By doing so, they promise to donate more than half of their wealth within their lifetimes.In 2022, Chesky personally donated $100 million to the Voyagers Scholarship run by former <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.obama.org/press-releases/the-obamas-and-brian-chesky-announce-the-inaugural-cohort-of-voyager-scholarship-recipients/">President and First Lady Obama</a>, which awards $50,000 in tuition for college juniors pursuing public service. Airbnb provides housing to recipients for summer internships and post-grad travel.When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Chesky announced the company would work to house 100,000 refugees with free two-week stays.In November 2022, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/airbnb-ceo-brian-chesky-home-listing-free-aircover-guest-verification-2022-11">Chesky listed a guest room </a>in his home on Airbnb, featuring a queen-sized bed and a piece of Airbnb history: the novelty cereal boxes that Chesky sold in 2008 to fund the early days of the company. Chesky told outlets he would make cookies and go to the gym with guests.<h2 id="f8474071-426e-4de9-baaf-881789cfc349">Short-term rental crackdowns and layoffs plagued Airbnb after its profitable year</h2>Countless other real-estate firms conducted mass layoffs due to the cooling housing market. In March 2023, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/real-estate-tech-layoffs-25-companies-that-have-laid-people-off-2022-7">Airbnb cut 30% of its recruiting staff</a>, representing 0.4% of its total headcount of 6,800.In August — amid protests from locals — <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/barcelona-airbnb-ban-florence-amsterdam-lisbon-are-regulations-working-2024-8">Barcelona</a> said it would push to fully ban and eliminate all of its registered short-term rental listings by 2028. Elsewhere, cities like New York, Tokyo, and Vancouver now require hosts to live in the units they're renting out.During its Q2 earnings call, Airbnb told investors that its marketing costs would grow faster than revenue in Q3."Kicking up marketing spend at a moment when demand is softening tends to be the ultimate backbreaker for an internet stock in our experience," analysts from RBC wrote in a note.This story was originally published in 2016. It was last updated in September 2024.

The rise of Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky, who overcame the COVID-19 travel slump and is now leading the company through rental crackdowns

The pharmaceutical giant <keyword id="19910149" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="AstraZeneca" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="AstraZeneca" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="AstraZeneca">AstraZeneca</keyword>'s <keyword id="20040659" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="COVID-19-vaccine" source="keywords">COVID-19 vaccine</keyword> is being withdrawn worldwide after the company acknowledged for the first time in court documents that it can cause a rare and dangerous side effect, according to a report in the British Newspaper 'The Telegraph'. AstraZeneca has announced that the <keyword id="19959412" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="vaccine" source="keywords">vaccine</keyword> was being removed from markets for commercial reasons. It further said that the vaccine was no longer being made or supplied, having been superseded by updated vaccines that fight new variants. The application to withdraw the vaccine was made on March 5 and came into effect on May 7. The vaccine can be no longer used in the European Union following the company's decision to withdraw its "marketing authorisation." Similar applications will be submitted in the UK and other nations in the coming months that have given a go-ahead to the vaccine, known as Vaxzevria. In recent months, Vaxzevria has come under scrutiny over a very rare side effect, which causes blood clots and low blood platelet counts. In court documents, AstraZeneca in the High Court in February admitted that the vaccine "can, in very rare cases, cause <keyword id="20218859" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="TTS" source="keywords">TTS</keyword>". TTS which stands for <keyword id="21475609" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Thrombosis-with-Thrombocytopenia-Syndrome" source="keywords">Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome</keyword> has been associated with at least 81 deaths in the UK and hundreds of serious injuries. More than 50 alleged victims and grieving relatives have filed a lawsuit against AstraZeneca in a High Court case. AstraZeneca has insisted that the decision to withdraw the vaccine is not related to the case or admission that it can cause TTS and termed the timing a pure coincidence, according to The Telegraph report. "We are incredibly proud of the role Vaxzevria played in ending the global pandemic. According to independent estimates, over 6.5 million lives were saved in the first year of use alone and over three billion doses were supplied globally. Our efforts have been recognised by governments around the world and are widely regarded as being a critical component of ending the global pandemic," The Telegraph quoted AstraZeneca as saying. In a statement, the pharmaceutical giant said, "As multiple, variant Covid-19 vaccines have since been developed, there is a surplus of available updated vaccines", adding that it has led to a decline in demand for Vaxzevria, which is no longer being manufactured or supplied, The Telegraph reported. It further announced its decision to initiate the withdrawal of the marketing authorisations for Vaxzevria within Europe. The company said, "We will now work with regulators and our partners to align on a clear path forward to conclude this chapter and significant contribution to the Covid-19 pandemic." Last week, AstraZeneca reiterated its commitment to patient safety while emphasising the vaccine's overall safety profile. An AstraZeneca spokesperson had stated, "Our sympathy goes out to anyone who has lost loved ones or reported health problems. Patient safety is our highest priority, and regulatory authorities have clear and stringent standards to ensure the safe use of all medicines, including vaccines." This comes in the wake of a recent admission by AstraZeneca, the pharmaceutical company, that its <keyword id="19896627" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="covid" source="keywords">Covid</keyword> vaccine Covishield and Vaxzevria "can, in very rare cases, cause Thrombosis Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS)." Despite these rare occurrences, the pharmaceutical company maintained that extensive clinical trial data and real-world evidence consistently support the vaccine's safety and efficacy. Regulatory agencies worldwide continue to assert that the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks of such extremely rare side effects. 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AstraZeneca withdraws COVID-19 vaccine worldwide, cites commercial reasons

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Forget friendship bracelets — some Swifties are calling Covid-19 their new concert souvenirs.</li><li>Some fans who got COVID-10 after attending her Eras Tour are calling it a "gift" from "Mother."</li></ul>It's been years since the pandemic times of COVID-19 lockdowns and the era of mandated masking. But while the virus is still circulating, some Swifties have become wildly optimistic about what it means to catch an infection at one of their idol's concerts. So much so that some Swifties on social media are playfully dubbing the COVID-19 infection they think they got from her concerts a "souvenir" and a "gift" from "Mother."A post on X from a Spanish Taylor Swift fan account asked followers: "Did you go to <a target="_blank" class="css-1jxf684 r-bcqeeo r-1ttztb7 r-qvutc0 r-poiln3 r-1loqt21" href="https://x.com/hashtag/MadridTStheErasTour?src=hashtag_click">#MadridTStheErasTour</a> and take COVID, a virus, or a cold with you as a souvenir? I open a survey."Of the nearly 10,800 votes, 35% voted yes. People in the poll's comments section described their symptoms and showed their positive COVID-19 tests — but also raved about how they thought it was worth it. The poll has been viewed nearly 144,000 times at press time.One X user <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/RaquellvsRhett/status/1797947023641247766">commented</a>: "Going to Taylor's concert has meant losing my voice, losing my mental health and, well, my health in general, I'm more dead than alive (but I would go to the concert a thousand more times)."Earlier in February, an Australian concertgoer posted a TikTok of herself dressed up in her concert outfit and glam makeup. The video then cut straight to her holding up a positive COVID-19 test kit in bed. She captioned the post: "The Eras Tour souvenir no ones talking about. if youre heading to the sydney shows this weekend, wash your hands regularly!"However, other X users have voiced their disbelief at Swifties calling the virus a souvenir.One X user <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/pot8um/status/1799513266265166174?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1799513266265166174%7Ctwgr%5E823e04af52763fad2f3a84db8d34b05f9516778a%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fmuse.insider.com%2Fstory%2F666a622b074e87bb00f6cf0e">wrote:</a> "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???"Concerts have gained notoriety as COVID-19 superspreader events. In 2021, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsweek.com/over-2200-people-catch-covid-after-spain-music-festivals-catalonia-1616207">over 2,200 people caught the virus</a> after going to music festivals in northeast Spain.And while the virus is treated more like the common flu now, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/august-flu-vs-covid-infection-rate-2023-8">COVID-19 is still circulating</a> — and people are getting infected across the US.Virus-spreading or not, Swift's Eras Tour has been widely successful, propelling the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tortured-poets-department-taylor-swift-new-album-earnings-eras-tour-2024-4">singer-songwriter to billionaire status</a>. Swift is now in the UK for her next leg of the tour. Swift's representative didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

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