Association of NFL fan attendance with county-level COVID-19 incidence in 2020-2021 season

Newswise — About The Study: In this cross-sectional study of the presence of fans at National Football League (NFL) home games during the 2020-2021 season, results indicated that fan attendance was associated with increased levels of COVID-19 in the counties in which the venues are nested within, as well as in surrounding counties. The spikes in COVID-19 for crowds of over 20,000 people suggest that large events should be handled with extreme caution during public health event(s) where vaccines, on-site testing, and various countermeasures are not readily available to the public. 

Authors: Wanda E. Leal, Ph.D., of Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, is the corresponding author. 

Editor’s Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and support.

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