Will you go to a Patriots game before a vaccine is generally available?

Our answers are dependent on what we think will happen with the pandemic.

My guess would be that most Americans will have had COV19 by the time the NFL starts up again, and we'll have a way of testing for that. The two big factors at that point will be 1. will the US population adopt and comply with a certification system, and 2. what we find out about reinfection.

Steve:Section 102 said:

no. I don't see me at any big crowd events in the very near future without a vaccine. Dig out the fishing rod and the hunting gear.

Click to expand...

Nothing much beats a fishing pole and a paper cup full of loose dirt and fat wiggly worms. The only other things you might need to make it perfection are a few baloney sandwichs and a 6 year old boy.

Only if the ticket prices are lower

Yes I would go, will be an interesting year for the team.

RLKAG was my vote.
I Ignore Thread all the Wuhan flu posts but I plan to avoid crowds like the plague post recovery, whenever that is. So not going to games, period. Had previously planned to go see a Bucs game next December. I'm presently stuck south of Tamper at my winter place until month's end at least.

Sometimes the cure is worse than the disease itself. Just look at the hpv vaccine.

My Dad will go which worries me...

I believe there is a chance that "herd immunity" will exist in most of US before a vaccine is developed and distributed. If and when herd immunity has been demonstrated through antibody testing, it will be safe for most people to go to large gatherings.

I do predict however, that if big crowds do not come back for major sports, TV revenue will drop precipitously and player salaries will come way down.

Coolade said:

Which numbers are you referring to..?

Transmission vectors happened last year. Virus dies off in summer . By fall it should be micro tiny risk.

Click to expand...

By Fall, we will be starting the 2nd wave. Why do you think that it will be micro tiny?

Chevrolet said:

I believe there is a chance that "herd immunity" will exist in most of US before a vaccine is developed and distributed. .

Click to expand...

By Fall, I don't expect that we will have the approximately 200 million cases required for herd immunity, with the associated 200K deaths (that's a t a 1 in a thousand death rate). BTW, rural areas are starting to hit. Most should peak long before summer. BTW, if hot humid weather kills the virus, why is the US South is so much trouble? It's not going to be much warmer and wetter in the Midwest in the Summer, compared to Miami now.

Yes, with others concerned about going and Brady gone, there might be some reasonably priced tickets available.

mgteich said:

By Fall, I don't expect that we will have the approximately 200 million cases required for herd immunity, with the associated 200K deaths (that's a t a 1 in a thousand death rate). BTW, rural areas are starting to hit. Most should peak long before summer. BTW, if hot humid weather kills the virus, why is the US South is so much trouble? It's not going to be much warmer and wetter in the Midwest in the Summer, compared to Miami now.

Click to expand...

It’s tough to kill something that isn’t alive but, generally speaking, summertime inhibits the spread of a virus for a variety of reasons.

In general, the south is warmer than the north, but we just don’t have many regions in the country which have already seen consistent, prolonged summertime temperatures.

Re: herd immunity

To have herd immunity you need:
Fraction immune = 1 - 1/Ro

Initially they estimated Ro around 3 which set the herd immunity requirement at 67% of the population having been infected. But a newer study is currently estimating 5.7 which increases the requirement to 83% of the population having been infected.

Going to public gatherings before a vaccine is SELFISH. With the flu, people have a choice to get vaccinated. So if you infect them, they got infected because they chose not to vaccinate. With the coronavirus, you contracting it and passing it to others is potentially dooming them.

Putting your family and strangers in danger for the sake of seeing men toss a ball around is the height of apathy for the safety of others. It is disgusting.

Coolade said:

Which numbers are you referring to..?

Transmission vectors happened last year. Virus dies off in summer . By fall it should be micro tiny risk.

Click to expand...

First there has been no proof that the coronavirus gets impacted by the summer weather. If anything, the heat may help to get the airborne virus to fall to the ground and help slow transmission outdoors. Indoors all bets are off until we learn more about the virus. It appears it hovers for hours in an air conditioned environment.

Moreover, we're seeing the curve lessen precisely because we're social distancing better than many experts expected out of Americans. The mindset that things will return to normal will likely lead to a lessening of vigilance by those practicing distancing. And the virus, if it doesn't die off in the summer heat, will spread all over again.

I'm writing from West Texas in the desert. It's been 80 degrees and there are still reports of the virus spreading like wildfire.

Don't bank on anything stopping this virus other than a vaccine and discipline as an individual and a society.

MainePatsFan26 said:

I'm writing from West Texas in the desert. It's been 80 degrees and there are still reports of the virus spreading like wildfire.

Click to expand...

The scientific consensus is that it is the humidity - not the heat itself - that inhibits the spread of a virus. Warm air can contain higher humidity than cooler air but, obviously, doesn’t always. A desert is often a good example of high temperature with low humidity. However, in general, the air is more humid in the summer months in the U.S.

There’s no proof it will impact Covid-19 but there’s also no reason to believe it won’t.

XLIX said:

The scientific consensus is that it is the humidity - not the heat itself - that inhibits the spread of a virus. Warm air can contain higher humidity than cooler air but, obviously, doesn’t always. A desert is often a good example of high temperature with low humidity. However, in general, the air is more humid in the summer months in the U.S.

There’s no proof it will impact Covid-19 but there’s also no reason to believe it won’t.

Click to expand...

Good point. Fingers crossed that it slows the spread. But I hope people aren't going to get tricked by a temporary slowdown and stop being smart/cautious.

It was 50/50 for me before all that's going on happened. Each year seems to get more expensive and the crappy Canadian dollar isn't helping either.

Interesting relevant article that addresses if/when sports will return. Spoiler: Don't hold your breath.
https://www.si.com/mlb/2020/04/10/sports-arent-coming-back-soon

Going to a brick and mortar stadium is so 20th century. Who wants to wait endlessly in line for a urinal?