February 5, 2021 – While Super Bowl Sunday is not a national holiday, it is often treated as one – an all-day celebration full of friends, family, and food. But this year it will be different. At least the doctors hope so.
Medics are asking the public to stay physically aloof and to hold the gatherings virtually this Sunday. Otherwise, COVID-19 cases could spike again – a particularly alarming prospect given the new strains that have emerged.
“We are concerned because there are new flavors of COVID so that even fewer errors can occur,” says Dr. Preeti Malani, Chief Health Officer and Professor of Medicine in the Department of Infectious Diseases at the University of Michigan. “We don’t want Super Bowl Sunday to be Superspreader Sunday.”
There are three specific variants that have so far been of concern – originating in the UK, South Africa and Brazil – all of which were discovered in the US. They appear to be more contagious than the original strain, and it is unclear how well the vaccines available protect against them.
“This Sunday, think about which team you choose and which commercial you prefer. Watch the Super Bowl safely and only meet virtually or with the people you live with,” said CDC – Director Rochelle P. Walensky, MD, on Wednesday at a press conference for the White House COVID-19 Response Team.
Anthony Fauci, MD, the Chief Medical Officer of the White House’s COVID-19 Response Team, has issued similar warnings as it did during the holiday season. In an interview with NBC’s Today Show on Wednesday, he said “there is always an increase” in new infections after traditionally social times.
“Enjoy the game, watch it on TV, but do it with immediate family members, the people in your household,” he said.
Fortunately, surveys show that many people can heed these warnings. The National Retail Federation reports that only 28% of respondents say they will throw or go to a party or see the game at a bar – the lowest in the history of the survey. In 2018, poll results said 18% said they would be hosting a Super Bowl party and 28% said they would be attending one. Five percent said they would go to a bar or restaurant.
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