Following the Lionesses historic Euro 2022 victory over Germany, it is not clear if things have settled.
Scientists are already apprehensive that the match could have been a Covid super-preader event, which could lead to another case boom.
More than 87,000 fans packed out Wembley stadium on Saturday night – the largest crowd in European championship history.
Another 15million cheered the Lionesses at their pubs, homes and other places in an act of unification after the two years of suffering from the pandemic.
Prof. Denis Kinane, a Scottish immunologist warns against the possibility of an increase in cases due to the mixing.
“We can expect to see an increase in first-time and reinfections. People are less likely to get diagnosed after the end of free testing, so it is possible for people to mix with other Covid-carrying individuals.
Face masks should be compulsory at large events such as games, he said.
Helen Allott from Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine tweeted that Dr Helen Allott was an obstetrician. ‘Dare he say it, but 87,000 people packed into Wembley stadium shouting and singing will likely be a super-spreader for Covid.
Other scientists told MailOnline ‘we’re past the point of’ worrying about super-spreader events because the population has such high levels of immunity.
There were only 3,400 Covid cases that could have been linked to the Euro finals against Italy last year at Wembley. The event saw 67,000 people.
Wembley fans celebrate as England defeats Germany in an historic Euro final.
Trafalgar Square is where they roared at the Lionesses as fans celebrate the last whistle
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge congratulate England’s Beth Mead, along with Nadine Kssler (UEFA Chief of Women’s Football)
Evidence suggests the Queen’s Jubilee Celebrations and Glastonbury Festival fueled an increase in infections.
At the beginning of July, the virus was believed to have infected approximately 3.1 million people. However, figures indicate that cases are already declining by the middle month.
Covid hospital admissions and deaths have been declining for several weeks.
Professor Kinane of the University of Geneva stated that Covid, contrary to popular belief, is still highly contagious and dangerous.
It is important to keep in mind that although a booster or vaccination does not protect you against COVID, it can help save most people from having to be admitted.
Latest data show that the summer wave of Covid-related infections reached its peak in mid July. The Office for National Statistics reports that 2.6 million Covid-infected people in England had been infected in seven days prior to July 20. This is a drop of 16% from the week before.
The following graph displays the death toll directly related to Covid in England and Wales. This is a far smaller number than the deaths recorded for previous waves in England and Wales, but it’s still a significant fraction of what was seen at start of 2021.
By mid-July, cases were declining in England in every age bracket except for the North East. The trend is uncertain in that region.
“Festivals, major events and other significant events may be contributing factors in a rise in COVID infections numbers.
‘The women’s European final is also therefore likely to trigger a surge of cases, given over 87,000 football fans attended.’
He said, “No one would like to see the return of restrictions and lockdowns.” However, we must take reasonable precautions. This includes wearing face masks at enclosed events and mass gatherings, being tested for infection if necessary, as well as taking extra care if in close contact with vulnerable people.
Prince William, Harry Kane, and Liz Truss (a Prime Minister candidate) were some of the most prominent spectators to Wembley’s Saturday event.
Meanwhile, as many as 15million more were watching around the UK on television – another record for women’s football – including Boris Johnson and his children Wilf, two, and seven-month-old Romy.
Paul Hunter is an infectious disease specialist at the University of East Anglia. He said that we shouldn’t worry anymore about super-spreader events.
He told MailOnline: ‘They are a thing we worry about when we’ve got very low immunity levels — which we have not.
“It is possible it [the final] might slow the decline in cases, and maybe even reverse it for a short while, but in the grand scheme of things, it isn’t going to be dramatic.
“What we see is that hospital deaths and peaks due to Covid are becoming smaller with each wave.”
Professor Hunter stated that he would not allow masks and other light-touch measures to be brought back to large events.
He added that Covid should not be taken lightly if the person is extremely vulnerable and hasn’t had it in recent months.
The original Super-Spreader Event in Britain, Cheltenham Festival was held March 2020. It attracted approximately 150,000 people to the Gloucestershire village.
Due to Covid’s uncertainties, only 100,000 people were able to attend the event. Many went for several days, even though 250,000 tickets were purchased.
This occurred just days after the Government had banned mass gatherings. It was also blamed for the acceleration of the first pandemic.
More than 52,000 people were present at the Champions League match played between Liverpool and Atletico Madrid, Merseyside, in the same week.
The city was only six cases confirmed of coronavirus at the time of the match. But, a month later, it had over 1,000 and hundreds had died.
Over 9,000 cases could be directly attributed to the last year’s European men’s football championships. Hundreds of thousands are thought to have been indirect linked.
England was defeated by Italy in penalties following a tight 1-1 draw at Wembley. It extended Britain’s wait of 50 years for silverware.
But the women’s team put all that to bed on Saturday when they beat Germany 2-1 in extra time – the first time an English national team has picked up a major trophy since 1966.
Experts predict that the victory will change the perception of women’s football.