Public health experts are recommending that people take precautions when watching this year’s Super Bowl in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
In a February 4, 2020 New York Times article, experts expressed concern about people gathering indoors with people that they don’t live with. The disease could easily spread if people talk loudly, cheer, and snack throughout the game, they said.
“It’s not like Thanksgiving where millions and millions are traveling, but will we see cases linked to Super Bowl parties at people’s homes? I think most definitely yes,” said Joseph Allen, associate professor of exposure assessment science and director of the Healthy Buildings program at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Experts in the article said it would be less risky to watch the game outdoors, maintain social distancing, and wear masks. The least risky option would be to watch the game at home with only the people you live with, they said.
The article also quoted Asaf Bitton, executive director of Ariadne Labs, who said that even if people have been vaccinated or tested, they shouldn’t let their guard down when gathering with people outside their household. That’s because vaccination can take a week or two after the second shot to afford full protection, and because COVID-19 tests only tell you that the virus wasn’t detectable on the day of the test. “One test at one point in time is just not going to give you the clarity that you need to know that it’s safe for your groups to get together,” he said.
Read the New York Times article: Super Bowl Party or Superspreader Event?