Elisabell Velázquez posted: "College football stadiums across Florida with tens of thousands of non-masked, screaming students and boosters packed closely together have so far resulted in no recognizable community outbreaks amid the pandemic, according to infection figures on the sta"
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College football stadiums across Florida with tens of thousands of non-masked, screaming students and boosters packed closely together have so far resulted in no recognizable community outbreaks amid the pandemic, according to infection figures on the state's biggest campuses.
The season began amid fears that big games could become superspreader events. Now, nearly halfway through the season — which kicked off as the highly infectious delta variant was still spreading across the U.S. — the days and weeks after home games showed no significant surges on college campuses.
In back-to-back weekends last month for No. 20 University of Florida, for example, roughly 90,000 people crowded for several hours into Ben Hill Griffin Stadium for each game, where there were no requirements for vaccinations, masks or social distancing. Infection numbers on campus didn't escalate dramatically in the days or weeks afterward, which would cover the typical COVID-19 incubation window.
At Florida, with more than 53,000 students enrolled, the school has diagnosed an average of 16 positive cases each day since the semester began. Student sections have been packed full at the Gators' home games so far, including its opener against Florida Atlantic and games last month hosting No. 1 Alabama then Tennessee. Homecoming is this weekend, another test of the public health risk in the stadium, known as the Swamp.
Have crowded college football stadiums turned out safer than everyone expected?
In interviews, health experts offer possible explanations: higher-than-expected vaccination numbers; fans who already contracted the virus; a coincidental national decline in delta cases since mid-September; lack of robust contact-tracing that might be skewing numbers; and inconsistent testing across campuses that might be suppressing figures even among students who feel sick after games.
Until the fall semester started, for example, UF required students on campus to wear masks inside classrooms and be tested weekly — one explanation for its record number of more than 13,000 positive cases since March 2020. Now, students are encouraged but not required to wear masks in classrooms and be tested if they suspect they have been in contact with an infected person. No one enforces those expectations.
"If I wasn't feeling well or if I was exposed, I would not put myself in the situation, and I would hope to believe that everyone else is doing the same moving forward," said Taylor Rouchon, 21, of Pensacola, a junior studying sport management. "I just don't want to miss out on games. You know, we can't live in fear for the rest of our lives."
In the week after Florida's home opener, the school said it tested more than 3,500 students, faculty and staff, with 123 positive cases during that period. In the two weeks after the sold-out Alabama game, the school said it tested 5,425 students, faculty and staff, with only 99 positive cases.
"We're on the tail end of our delta spike in cases, so I do think there is some factor there," said Dr. Cindy Prins, an associate professor of epidemiology at Florida. "We've unfortunately had a lot of people who did get infected that adds to the people who have immunity right now."
Infection numbers were also low — and dropping — at other football schools across Florida. The Seminoles lost a nail-biter in their home opener to Notre Dame, with more than 68,000 in the crowded stadium. Florida State said it tested 2,745 students, faculty and staff and recorded only 88 positive cases on campus over the next two weeks. Now in a bye week, the school has its next home game Oct. 23 during its homecoming weekend.
"I think because the student body is highly vaccinated, and in Tampa, as well, I would be very surprised if there's a strong outbreak connected to the football game," said Dr. Edwin Michael, a professor of epidemiology at the school. He said the university's contact-tracing efforts have diminished, making it harder to link cases to superspreader events.
Cases reported by the University of Miami have fallen each week on campus since the Hurricanes' home opener Sept. 11 against Appalachian State, with roughly 45,000 attending each of four consecutive home games through the end of last month. In the two weeks after its opening win over the Mountaineers, Miami said it tested 22,190 students and faculty and recorded only 41 cases on campus.
In the two weeks after beating Boise State in its Sept. 2 home opener, the University of Central Florida said it recorded 289 cases on campus. Storms limited attendance at that game, but more than 38,000 attended the Sept. 11 home game in Orlando against Bethune Cookman.
In a statement, the press secretary for Gov. Ron DeSantis — who was captain of his college baseball team at Yale — compared Florida's relatively open rules for events like college football games to restrictions in place at universities elsewhere in the U.S.
"In some parts of the country, the college experience will never again get back to normal," spokeswoman Christina Pushaw said. She also noted that "fully vaccinated students and staff still test positive," although so-called breakthrough cases have been relatively rare and hospitalization rates among vaccinated patients are very low.
Packed stadiums had worried professors on campuses who were concerned about infections running rampant through classrooms after football weekends. At Florida, after the packed season opener, the union representing faculty urged the administration unsuccessfully to consider moving classes online, requiring masks and vaccinations and improving testing and tracking for infected students, faculty and staff.
"The decision has been made that we will take the risk of packing the stadium, and saying that whoever gets sick is tolerable or if they die that's tolerable because the game matters more," said Steven Kirn, co-chairman on the pandemic task force for the United Faculty of Florida.
After Florida beat Tennessee, Sean Sorrick, 20, of Naples, a junior studying psychology, said he felt sick afterward. The school said nearly 89,000 attended that game. He believes he caught a cold that was circulating on campus.
"I got the cold that everybody else has got that is going around," he said. "It was fun when I was there, but now I'm paying the price for it."
Sorrick, who days later said he was feeling better, said he wasn't tested, despite the university's rules saying he should. "Unless what I have gets worse, I'm not going to get tested. I think that's what a lot of people are experiencing. Unless they're really, really sick, I don't think people are going to get tested." ___
This story was reported by Elisabell Velázquez and produced by Fresh Take Florida, a news service of the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications. Velazquez can be reached at evelazquez@freshtakeflorida.com.
Fans watch the University of South Florida take on the University of Florida at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., on September 11, 2021. (Elisabell Velazquez/Fresh Take Florida)
Fans watch the University of South Florida take on the University of Florida at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., on September 11, 2021. (Elisabell Velazquez/Fresh Take Florida)
Fans watch the Florida Gators take on the Tennessee Titans at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Fla., on September 25, 2021. (Gabriela Villamonte/Fresh Take Florida)
Fans watch the Florida Gators take on the Tennessee Titans at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Fla., on September 25, 2021. (Gabriela Villamonte/Fresh Take Florida)
Fans watch the Florida Gators take on the Tennessee Titans at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Fla., on September 25, 2021. (Gabriela Villamonte/Fresh Take Florida)
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Luca Bartolini posted: "Matteo Gozzoli fa festa in Piazza Fiorentini insieme a tutti i cittadini Venerdì 8 ottobre dalle 18.30 ritrovo in centro per Gozzoli, appena riconfermato Sindaco: musica, qualcosa di buono da mangiare, birra e vino Cesenatico, 7 ottob"
Matteo Gozzoli fa festa in Piazza Fiorentini insieme a tutti i cittadini
Venerdì 8 ottobre dalle 18.30 ritrovo in centro per Gozzoli, appena riconfermato Sindaco: musica, qualcosa di buono da mangiare, birra e vino
Cesenatico, 7 ottobre 2021_ Dopo il grande successo elettorale dello scorso 3 e 4 ottobre, Matteo Gozzoli chiama a raccolta Cesenatico per festeggiare insieme la sua riconferma a Sindaco. La cornice sarà quella di Piazza Fiorentini, - già ritrovo per una delle serate clou della campagna elettorale insieme a Stefano Bonaccini -, venerdì 8 ottobre dalle 18.30. Sarà offerto un aperitivo a base di pesce, vino, birra e si ballerà con la musica di Claudio Cavallaro-Soul funk disco & Black Power Music.
«Dopo questi mesi di campagna elettorale vogliamo fare festa insieme per ringraziare i tanti cittadini che mi hanno dato fiducia e ritrovarci ancora insieme. Sono già al lavoro per gettare le basi del prossimo mandato e sono molto motivato. Quello di venerdì sarà un grande momento di festa per ripartire ancora più carichi ed entusiasti», le parole del Sindaco Matteo Gozzoli.
Redaksi posted: " Oleh: M Rizal Fadillah (Pemerhati Politik dan Kebangsaan). MediaBantenCyber.co.id - (MBC) Bandung, Kaisar Romawi Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus atau dikenal Kaisar Nero adalah penguasa Romawi yang dikenal tiran. Bekerja mengik"
Oleh: M Rizal Fadillah (Pemerhati Politik dan Kebangsaan). MediaBantenCyber.co.id- (MBC) Bandung, Kaisar Romawi Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus atau dikenal Kaisar Nero adalah penguasa Romawi yang dikenal tiran. Bekerja mengikuti kemauannya sendiri. Memenjarakan atau membunuh para penentangnya. Phobia pada keyakinan dan gerakan keagamaan. Kristiani dianggap berbahaya dan selalu menjadi sasaran fitnah Kaisar.
Terkenal akan kekejamannya dan bisa menghukum mati hanya karena persoalan sepele. Ibu kandungnya Agrippina, istri-istri, serta adik tirinya Britanicus dibunuh karena takut menyaingi. Mengklaim sebagai seniman yang serba bisa termasuk musik. Suaranya jelek namun tetap harus dipuji. Ada pendengar yang lompat tembok tak mau mendengar suara berisik Nero.
Cita cita dan keinginan kuatnya adalah membuat Roma baru. Meski kas negara kosong karena pemborosan namun Roma sebagai ibu kota baru harus dibangun. Roma lama yang indah dibuat terbakar atas perintah rahasia Nero. Sambil memandang kebakaran hebat ia memetik harpa dan meneteskan air mata. Kambing hitam tertuju pada kaum agama. Radikal Kristen tuduhannya. Mereka diburu dan dibantai.
"Roma baru" dibangun dengan biaya mahal dan itu adalah hasil memeras dan memaksa rakyat. Pembangunan Istana didahulukan dan dibuat semegah mungkin "Domus Aurea" rumah emas dengan dekorasi intan permata. Setelah Istana selesai, Nero berkata "Ini baru mirip tempat tinggal manusia". Nero narsis dan masa bodoh pada rakyatnya.
Membakar dan membangun Roma terjadi pada tahun 64. Namun tahun 68 kekuasaan Nero runtuh. Ternyata ibu kota baru itu adalah kulminasi dari nafsu kegilaannya berkuasa. Ketika rakyat telah habis kesabaran akibat ditekan dan diperas, maka kenekatan adalah pilihannya. Rakyat berontak dan militer mengkudeta.
Nero lari setelah gagal mendapat maaf dan ampunan dari rakyatnya. Hukuman mati telah diputuskan oleh penguasa baru Kaisar Servius Sulpicius Galba. Nero panik dan berniat bunuh diri. Tapi sifat pengecutnya membuat ia tak berani menusukkan belati ke tubuhnya sendiri. Pembantunya diminta memegang belati dan Nero ikut menggenggam lalu bersama-sama menusukkan belati itu ke lehernya. Darah tertumpah mengiringi petikan harpa kematiannya. "Dunia ini telah kehilangan seorang seniman yang hebat", lirihnya.
Ibu Kota baru dengan kemegahan baru yang bermodal pembakaran ibu kota lama hanya obsesi dari nafsu berkuasa-Nero. Rakyat sama sekali tidak merasakan manfaat. Pajak justru dibebankan lebih berat. Nero bahagia di tengah kesulitan rakyat. Nero memang penguasa yang sakit.
Ini adalah sepenggal kisah dari negeri Romawi, bukan yang terjadi di negeri ini. Nero telah mati dengan meninggalkan penyakit menular Neroistik yang menjangkiti banyak penguasa negeri saat ini.(BTL)
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