Gimme a C, gimme an O, gimme a V, gimme an I, gimme a D! Whats that spell?! COVID!!!!!! 40,000 fans are expected to converge on Atlanta Georgia, for the Cheersport Nationals. Though event organizers are taking some precautions against COVID-19, it doesn’t take an expert to figure out that it will likely be a superspreader event. By CDC standards, the event is at the highest risk of Covid-19 transmission.
A CDC study from October found that indoor sporting events — even those with far fewer players than the cheerleading competition — can easily turn into superspreading events.
10,000 competitors are expected to take part in the annual Cheersport Nationals event, about half the number of competitors who usually attend. Georgia just recorded its highest single-day COVID-19 death toll. Atlanta where the cheer event is taking place, has seen a 9.8% Covid-19 positivity rate over the last two weeks, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health’s most recent report.
Public health doctors are worried that competitors and their families could further spread the virus in between competitions and around town. After the competition they then will return home and seed the virus all across the country.
The convention center where the event is being held also houses Covid-19 patients with mild to moderate illness. Attendees “assume all risks related to exposure to Covid-19” by taking part. All coaches and cheer performers are required to wear a mask to enter the building and “during the transitions” between practice and performance. The cheerers don’t need to wear masks during their performance.