Reckless students have been holding "covid parties" - inviting people with the killer virus and taking bets on who will catch it first, it has emerged.
Participants put money in a pot, and the first to be diagnosed with coronavirus wins the cash, according to reports in the US.
Officials in Alabama say they are stunned after the dangerous trend came to light.
A fire chief said he thought it was a joke when he first found out about it.
Flabbergasted Tuscaloosa City Councilor Sonya McKinstry told ABC News that people were deliberately getting infected - and branded the irresponsible actions "make no sense".
She continued: "I think when you're dealing with the mind frame of people who are intentionally doing stuff like that and they're spreading it intentionally, how can you truly fight something that people are constantly trying to promote?"
Fire chief Randy Smith said he was aware of cases where people diagnosed with coronavirus had gone to parties.
He told a meeting, WBMA reports: "We had seen over the last few weeks parties going on in the county, or throughout the city and county in several locations where students or kids would come in with known positives.
"We thought that was kind of a rumour at first....we did some additional research....not only did the doctor's offices help confirm it but the state confirmed they also had the same information."
More than 127,000 people have died in the US after contracting coronavirus, and states have been forced to reimpose restrictions after infection rates started to rise again.
The revelation about the parties was made shortly before Alabama lawmakers passed rules making it compulsory to wear face coverings in public.
Council spokesman Richard Rush told ABC News that the city "is currently working with local agencies and organizations to ensure that we do everything in our power to fight this pandemic".
