The world of professional sports has been severely affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Most leagues have been on pause since mid-March, but the nation's top infectious diseases expert Dr. Anthony Fauci does believe that professional sports could return this summer under two conditions: if fans aren't in attendance and if players are kept in hotels to protect their health.
"There's a way of doing that," Fauci told Snapchat's Peter Hamby during an interview on Tuesday. "Nobody comes to the stadium. Put [the players] in big hotels, wherever you want to play, keep them very well surveilled... Have them tested every single week and make sure they don't wind up infecting each other or their family, and just let them play the season out."
Fauci was also asked what the coronavirus specifically means for a shortened MLB season and the start of the NFL season, and if fans not being in attendance will hurt the leagues. The infectious diseases expert believes that there will still be plenty of interest from fans to only watch games on television .
Earlier this month, a poll from Seton Hall's Stillman School of Business showed that 72 percent of people said they would not attend live games before a COVID-19 vaccine was made.
Over the last week, MLB has been brainstorming about beginning the season in Arizona with no fans in attendance. On Tuesday, the state's governor, Doug Ducey, admitted that he'd be on board with hosting games if it was safe to do so.
"I have had discussions with the commissioner of Major League Baseball," Ducey said, according to USA Today. "While I want to hold the content of those discussions in confidence, I just want everyone to know that Arizona, at the right time, is very open-minded to hosting whatever Major League Baseball would like from the state, at the time that it would be appropriate for public health if Arizona were in a position to reopen."
Fauci is personally interested in the return of baseball because he wants to see his favorite team, the Washington Nationals, defend their World Series title.
"I want to see them play again," Fauci said.
