College football stadiums across America have been packed this Labor day weekend. The number in attendance at some of the country’s biggest stadiums was staggering. The University of Michigan hosted Western Michigan with close to 110,000 spectators standing shoulder to shoulder. The University of Texas defeated Louisiana on September 4, 2021, cheered by more than 91,000 screaming and cheering fans. And the list could go on and on as more than 80 games were played during the long weekend.
“I don’t think it’s smart,” said Dr Anthony Fauci of the huge college football crowds, amid a surge of Covid-19 cases in the US.
“Outdoors is always better than indoors, but even when you have such a congregate setting of people close together – first, you should be vaccinated. And when you do have congregate settings, particularly indoors, you should be wearing a mask,” the president’s leading infectious diseases expert told CNN on Tuesday.
Penn State, the University of Wisconsin, and the University of Alabama are planning for full-capacity crowds and are not asking for vaccination records. Iowa fan and critical care pharmacist at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Alyssa Sykuta, commented on her team’s fans waving to the Children’s Hospital behind the stadium before the game on September4, 2021. “As an Iowa fan this is one of my favorite college football traditions, but in the context of the past 18 months, it is cringe worthy,” she wrote on Twitter. “Maybe a moment of silence to honor kids at @UIchildrens who have been impacted by Covid instead? And for the love of God mask up and get vaxxed.” “ICUs are full, children are being hospitalized as schools reopen. College football stadiums full of mask less fans. I don’t understand,” said a retired hospital employee Rick Green on Twitter.
Experts have pointed out that being outdoors is less likely to spread the virus but if you are sitting shoulder to shoulder with thousands of other shouting fans the doesn’t just disappear. On top of that people gather in the bathrooms and then in bars after the game further heightening the chance of spread.
The 2021 NFL season begins on September 9, 2021 when defending Super Bowl champions Tampa Bay host the Dallas Cowboys with a capacity of more than 65,000 people. Masks are not required but recommend for the game.