New pro sports teams bring more than a rooting interest to American cities — they also sparked a spike in flu deaths, according to a new study.
Using data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the researchers analyzed weekly flu deaths in 122 U.S. cities from 1962 to 2016. The study used data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and analyzed weekly flu deaths in 122 U.S. cities from 1962 to 2016.A West Virginia University economist said attending a sporting event comes with the risk of catching the flu.The NHL season overlaps almost entirely with the flu season, the games are played indoors, and teams are more likely to be based in colder cities, study co-author Jane Ruseski noted.
National Basketball Association teams resulted in a city’s flu mortality rate jumping by 4.7%, or roughly 3.4 additional deaths.