Topline
Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of the country’s top infectious disease specialists and President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser, says Americans should “absolutely not” attend or host Super Bowl parties this Sunday with anyone outside their household due to the risk of spreading the coronavirus.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, speaks … [+]
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Key Facts
“Watch the Super Bowl on TV, enjoy it, have a party in your house with your family,” Fauci said in an interview Wednesday, adding, “as difficult as that is, at least this time around, just lay low and cool it.”
While the average number of new Covid-19 cases per day is decreasing nationwide, 3,532 deaths and 114,437 new cases were reported in the United States on Tuesday, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Key Background:
Sunday’s game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be played in Tampa, Florida. The majority of stadiums have prohibited fans in attendance throughout the season due to pandemic mandates, but the NFL is allowing 22,000 people to attend the Super Bowl this weekend. When asked if he was concerned that the game could become a superspreader event, Fauci told ABC that since the league is “trying to keep people separated enough in the stands, wearing masks,” and the crowd will be outdoors, it “could be okay” if strict protocols are adhered to.
Crucial Quote:
“Every time we do have something like this, there always is a spike, be it a holiday, Christmas, New Year’s, Thanksgiving,” Fauci told NBC. “As much fun as it is to get together at a big Super Bowl party, now is not the time to do that.”
Tangent:
When asked about the spread of dangerous coronavirus mutations, Fauci said the U.S. is not “winning” the vaccination race against these variants. He asserted that one of the variants might develop into the country’s dominant strain. “If they do become dominant, we may need to upgrade the vaccine, and that’s exactly the direction we’re going right now,” Fauci explained.
Big Number:
26.4 million. That’s how many people in the U.S. have been infected with Covid-19 as of Wednesday morning, and at least 446,901 have died.
Further Reading:
Fauci warns against Super Bowl parties to avoid virus spread (AP)
‘Now is not the time to do that’: Anthony Fauci urges fans to avoid Super Bowl parties outside their households (Boston.com)
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This article is auto-generated by Algorithm Source: www.forbes.com
