Dominic Pino of National Review broke down the coronavirus case numbers in Blacksburg, Virginia, to show that a college football game was not a superspreader event. Once again, the message is clear: You do not need to live in a bubble because of COVID-19.
The Virginia Tech Hokies opened their season over one month ago. A full capacity crowd of more than 65,000 jumped around to “Enter Sandman,” and the Hokies knocked off then-No. 10 North Carolina. And, despite the scolding of some media members and Dr. Anthony Fauci about crowded college football games, neither the university nor the less vaccinated surrounding area saw an outbreak. In fact, in the month since the game, cases have declined.
We saw the same thing after SEC teams kicked off their seasons with full-capacity crowds in multiple Southern states. We also saw the same with stadiums that allowed fans in 2020 and with the Super Bowl in Tampa Bay, Florida, in February. With vaccines protecting most people from severe symptoms and death, and packed crowds not leading to surges in cases, it’s clear that we can return to our 2019 normalcy.
The fearmongers should be ignored. Sports fans clearly have tuned them out already, and the results are clear to see. Between natural immunity and the incredible scientific accomplishment that led to readily available, highly effective vaccines, no one should be listening to those who want people to live their lives masked and in isolation.
Many of those same people are also pushing mask and vaccine mandates for children, despite all the evidence indicating that children are at less risk from the virus than they are from the flu. Just as with their concerns about crowds, they are prioritizing panic over logic and data. You don’t need to live in a bubble anymore, if you did at all.
