Mark Madden is, in my opinion, 100% incorrect about playing college sports (“College sports need to tap out for fall season,” July 10, TribLIVE). I believe there is zero reason for colleges to be canceling seasons, or to be holding classes online. (The same argument applies to K-12 even more strongly.) The infection fatality rate from covid-19 for people in the age range of 20-49 is 0.3%, which is similar to the flu. (It is much lower than that for people younger than 20.)
We have to stop canceling everything on account of the coronavirus. The excessive fear of the virus, which is in large part driven by the media, is causing far more damage than the virus itself. The schools that are canceling their fall seasons are destroying the dreams of their students. The vast majority of college athletes play because they love the sport, not because they expect to get paid, and I’m sure if you polled them there would be overwhelming support for going ahead with their seasons this fall.
Michael Sierk
Hempfield