He told CBSN Denver’s Makenzie O’Keefe that’s because the state’s numbers related to the coronavirus pandemic are improving and staying steady.
“I think the Broncos have come up with a very thoughtful and a very cautious plan,” he said. “It’s really good to see and I think it feels a little bit more normal, although we still have a way to go.”
The Denver Broncos will welcome a limited number of fans into Empower Field at Mile High starting Sept. 27 and CBS4 Medical Editor Dr. Dave Hnida is a fan of the plans.
Dr. Dave said it seems like a better plan that others he’s seen from teams around the NFL.
“They’re limiting the number of fans in the stadium, social distancing within pods. There’s not going to be any tailgating. There’s going to be contact-less restrooms and concessions. They’re taking many steps in order to keep this as safe as possible.”
He also pointed out the mere environment where the Broncos play, an outdoor stadium, also to the safety.
“I certainly would probably feel a little bit more comfortable being able to go out to the stadium than being packed into a place with other folks at someone’s home or even in a sports restaurant.”
He also addressed a new study from the CDC which found people who dine in a restaurant almost twice as likely to contract COVID-19 than those who have avoided eating out.
The CDC asked coronavirus patients what they had been doing before they got sick.
“They were more than twice as likely to say that they had been at a restaurant or bar within two weeks of getting symptoms. The same sort of link was not found with other places, things like grocery stores or churches.”
Dr. Dave said one thing the study did not address was if people were eating inside or outside, a concern as winter starts to arrive in Colorado. He again reminded us air circulation is key.
He also raised concerns about how medical professionals feel about the CDC and the FDA when it comes to vaccine development and if it is being rushed.
A poll from CBS News found only 21 percent of voters nationwide would immediately get a vaccine if made available.
“Why are you not going to get a vaccine? These are not necessarily people who are anti-vaxxers, they are people who do believe in vaccines. I think everybody has one thin gin common when it comes to a vaccine coming out very quickly and that is fear.”
Dr. Dave said that fear relates not just to effectiveness but also if it’s been tested adequately for side effects and how it will be distributed.
He said medical professionals would like more information from the CDC and FDa about the testing in order to be able to recommend it to their patients.
New developments in the pandemic mean you have new questions. Dr. Dave joins us every Monday at 11 a.m. to answer those questions on CBSN Denver.
