The Super Bowl, an unofficial American holiday that dates back to 1967, is celebrated across the nation. But this year, as the country struggles through a global pandemic, the threat of the coronavirus should take precedence over annual parties.
Usually, the Super Bowl is celebrated through large get-togethers, finger foods, beer and friends screaming together at the TV when their favorite team scores a touchdown.
However as of Tuesday, 446,561 Americans have died from COVID-19 and over 26.4 million have tested positive for the virus, according to The New York Times COVID-19 tracker.
Partying for the Super Bowl is not worth adding to the death toll of nearly half a million Americans.
COVID-19 cases surged across the country during the holiday season because of family gatherings that led to huge spikes in hospitalizations, positive cases and death, according to a Jan. 14 article in The Hill, a Washington D.C. news publication.
In Santa Clara County alone, the seven-day new case average went from 96 cases in October, to 1,479 cases by mid-January, according to the County of Santa Clara Public Health Department COVID-19 dashboard.
“We’ve seen over the past week and a half or so since the ending of the holiday season, everything seems to be a record,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert in The Hill article. “We’re in a very difficult situation and it is getting worse.”
Since the virus was first detected in the United States almost one year ago, it has run rampant through the country leaving a path of death in its wake.
In September, a new variant of the virus was discovered in the UK with evidence of it being more contagious. It accounted for more than 60% of cases in December alone, according to a Friday article from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Since the discovery, other variants have been identified in South Africa, Brazil, California and other areas worldwide.
If the mutant spread of the coronavirus and its effects aren’t a rude awakening to safely celebrate the Super Bowl without attending large parties, I don’t know what will be.
With the recently discovered variants of the virus and surges in cases caused by holiday gatherings, we need to do our part to ensure we aren’t contributing to another deadly wave. We can do this simply by not attending Super Bowl parties.
Even though Gov. Gavin Newsom lifted the stay-at-home order and mandatory curfew on Jan. 25, it’s not an excuse to let our guard down and start partying again.
The U.S. is the worst country for contracting COVID-19 because of how carelessly the country has handled the pandemic. The closest neighbor to our 26.2 million positive COVID-19 cases is India, with 10.7 million positive cases, according to the World Health Organization.
The whole world is looking at us and shaking their heads, so we shouldn’t perpetuate more carelessness because we couldn’t follow basic guidelines and social distance for a football game.
It’s still possible to order takeout from a local restaurant, buy a six-pack of beer from 7-Eleven and enjoy the day with your household without endangering other American lives because you want to rage over the Chiefs and the Buccaneers.
While the Super Bowl is a fun holiday special to many Americans, it’s important to remember it comes every year and we should prioritize the pandemic and our safety before the game.
