The Return of Conventions: Should I Be Concerned?
As someone with decidedly nerdy interests, going to local fan conventions has been a nice way to express these interests. I myself have, at various times, gone to my local fan convention, accompanied by a family member or two, and have generally enjoyed what they have to offer, whether that be through the purchase of merchandise, meeting various celebrities, or even participating in a public roleplaying event. Recently, in fact, a family member and I have made plans to attend the upcoming SiliCon fan convention in August.
This upcoming event is among many large-scale public events that are planned to arrive in the near future, which suggests a general relaxing of the self-quarantine policies felt worldwide throughout both 2020 and 2021. However, there is still the question of whether or not large-scale events like fan conventions will be safe, even with the immunization effort with the rollout of COVID vaccines. Given the fact that events like Comic Con are known for attracting large crowds, I would say that it’s not unreasonable for future convention-goers, myself included, to be worried as to whether or not such events are safe from a public health standpoint. Similar concerns could easily be felt in regards to other soon-to-return aspects of public life, in fact, as conventions were by no means the only events cancelled or postponed in recent times. According to the New York Times, the total list of cancelled or postponed public events is far-reaching, and includes things such as sporting events, including the Olympics, as well as live shows, so fan conventions are not an exception. Still, due to my personal connection to them, the safety of upcoming conventions specifically has caught my interest. In order to look into this topic further, I’ve looked into both the evolution of the COVID-19 situation and what immunization may allow for both now and in the coming months. I’ve also gotten the opinion of some avid convention attendees which, along with my research, has given me enough insight to come to the conclusion that conventions, while they may not be entirely safe at the moment, should be relatively safe within the near future. Even then, however, when it comes to large-scale public events like these, erring on the side of caution will most likely be necessary, as I’ve also concluded.
When it comes to conventions opening up again, it is important to note that the upcoming arrival of such events are only made possible due to the ongoing immunization effort, which I’ve deduced is something that will need to continue at a steady pace in order to ensure that these upcoming public events can be safe. According to a Los Angeles Times article on the subject of immunization, the state of California has, rather recently, exceeded a 70% partial or full vaccination rate among its adult population, allowing for a relaxation of quarantine-based restrictions in many areas. California is not an outlier in this regard, either, as the article also shares the following statistics: “California ranks 12th in terms of the share of its adult population that is at least partially vaccinated, according to the CDC. At the top of that leader board are Vermont with 82%; Hawaii, 80.5%; and Massachusetts, 78.7%. Roughly 71.2% of Pennsylvania adults have received at least one dose, as have 67.9% of those in New York, 59.9% in Florida and 57.1% in Texas” (Money, Luke. 70% of adult Californians are partially vaccinated against COVID-19. The Los Angeles Times. June 1, 2021. Accessed June 2, 2021). As this demonstrates, the partially or fully vaccinated population throughout the US, while not uniform, has exceeded the unvaccinated population across the fifty states. However, this on its own does not signify that the US population as a whole is safe from COVID, as if we are to have this be the case, the minimum requirement is to reach herd immunity. Including those that have been vaccinated and those that have a natural immunity, herd immunity is, as noted by the article, the point where the vast majority of a population — at least 80%, to be specific — is protected from a disease. Comparing this fact to the statistics provided, it becomes apparent that the majority of states, California included, currently fall short of herd immunity. With this fact in mind, I would have to assert that the only way to keep the US population safe following the lifting of quarantine restrictions, and the return of large-scale public events such as conventions, is to continue the immunization effort in earnest until herd immunity is achieved, and the vast majority of the population can be considered safe. To this end, a number of states, including the state of California, have created incentive programs in order to increase the rate of vaccination even further, in order to reach the required milestone and beyond.
However, in regards to the immunization effort, an important question must be raised: will vaccination be sufficient in protecting the general public? To answer this question, I sought out the insight of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as the organization seemed the best and most reliable source of information on this matter. From the information I was able to gather, I found that the most crucial thing to do, even after immunization, is to exercise caution, rather than immediately return to pre-pandemic life. Those that are fully vaccinated may partake in activities that they were otherwise unable to do, while not necessarily needing to wear a mask or stand six feet apart. The major exceptions to these are in the case of public transportation and travel, as well as to comply with laws, regulations, and workplace guidelines. As for why the vaccinated population still has to do so largely comes from the fact that there are still potential risks faced after vaccination, including unseen ones. While it is known that COVID vaccines are effective in preventing the disease, and help reduce the risk of contamination, there are still things that the CDC are currently unsure of, including the following: “How effective the vaccines are against variants of the virus that causes COVID-19. Early data show the vaccines may work against some variants but could be less effective against others” (When You’ve Been Fully Vaccinated. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Last updated May 16, 2021. Accessed June 4, 2021). Concerned with the safety of the general public’s well being, the CDC has acknowledged that there are reasons to actively maintain current regulations in at least some circumstances, even after vaccination, a stance that I think is for the best.
The insight of the CDC wasn’t all that I wanted, though, as this is mainly a result of my own interpretation of the information available to me. To get a better understanding of other people’s thoughts in regards to the return of conventions, I held an interview over Zoom with two family friends, Marc and Lisbeth. Both of these individuals are residents of New Jersey and avid convention-goers, whose input I felt was necessary for the sake of developing my own thoughts on the matter. Interviewing both at once, I quickly noticed that both of their thoughts on conventions and their cancellation during quarantine shared quite a few similarities. This remained true when I asked the two of them about their thoughts on the idea of conventions returning, and Marc and Lisbeth’s opinions seemed largely similar. Both of them admitted that they were worried about the prospect of people, themselves included, going to a convention where some convention-goers may not yet be vaccinated. Marc expressed a particular concern for the more elderly celebrities that often appear at such events, being within proximity of so many people. This is not to say that they do not miss the experience of going to conventions, because they in fact missed many aspects of pre-quarantine life, including conventions. However, as Lisbeth explained, much of her time in quarantine was spent trying to stay alive and keep things in check, so she did not specifically think about conventions much. As for Marc, he explained his feelings as such: “Although I did miss it, I also was probably the most comfortable just not going”. Given the circumstances, and their previously referenced concerns regarding public safety, this feeling is understandable. Fortunately, since then, both Marc and Lisbeth have been fully vaccinated, and are now interested in attending events again in the near future, specifically around fall when things should become laxer. Lisbeth, for example, has interest in going to Comic Con, which she noted is selling at a reduced capacity, while Marc still has the rescheduled tickets for the event he was going to attend.
Putting some time and thought into Marc and Lisbeth’s feelings on the topic, and comparing their own claims to my own understanding of upcoming events, much of what they said ties in well. This observation comes from the fact that while they may not necessarily be experts on the topic, they seem to have a good understanding of both the immunization effort and the reopening of events. This is highlighted by multiple key points of information they were able to provide. They showed themselves to both be well aware of the rate of vaccination in New Jersey, where they lived, which they approximated at being over 70%, falling in line with my own research about California and many other states. Still, much of the concern that they had in regards to people’s safety was whether or not there would be a health risk presented by unvaccinated convention-goers. The question that arises from this would be if such individuals would be welcome in upcoming events. The official FanCons website, for example, strongly discourages people from attending an upcoming event if they are not fully vaccinated. Though this is a good point to stress, the fact that it is simply a discouragement may not necessarily be good enough to put convention-goers at ease, in my opinion. Considering the growing number of vaccinations, however, this may not be as much of a concern as it could potentially be, especially if more precautions are taken than simple recommendations. One action that could potentially be taken would be to simply enforce social distancing, which should be feasible for most conventions and similar events, so long as the draw of such events are not too big. Given the importance of social distancing that has been echoed throughout this year and last, the plan for Comic Con to sell at reduced capacity than normal, as referenced by Lisbeth, seems for the best. Otherwise, convention-goers could very well face a serious health risk in attending the Con. According to my own research on the upcoming Comic Con in San Diego, it was indeed considered to be a safe alternative to a much larger, more densely-packed convention. If other upcoming events follow suit, then I see little reason to worry.
That being said, it is important to note that much of this, while based on my own research, is still ultimately my own opinion. By no means can I speak on the behalf of all future convention attendees, especially in regards to attendees outside of the state of California, which has had minimal COVID cases and is doing quite well in regards to immunization. This was a large reason why I sought the input of Marc and Lisbeth, both of whom live in another state. Still, I trust in my own understanding of the risks, and I am of the belief that, within the following months, conventions, concerts, festivals, and all manner of events will be generally safe for those involved. I do not expect to be in any significant danger while attending the upcoming SiliCon convention, so long as proper precautions are taken and the event is not too crowded. As previously stated by the Los Angeles Times, the relaxation of business restrictions in place due to quarantine efforts should allow for people to return to their previous lives and allow the economy to recover. I think that both of these things are very much necessary for the good of us all, and the return of conventions should be an important part of this.
With any luck, conventions will return in full force within the near future, alongside much of what many people have been lacking as of late. I myself am quite excited for the return of these public events, even if I’m not attending them personally. This is because these sorts of events are what allow people to come together and be passionate about the things that they enjoy, something that I find great value in for the sake of community and togetherness. However, as I’ve stressed, safety is incredibly important, and not something that should be taken lightly under circumstances such as what we have presently. For this reason, I hope that all upcoming event attendees remain reasonable and exercise caution, for themselves and others.
Primary Sources:
Money, Luke. 70% of adult Californians are partially vaccinated against COVID-19. The Los Angeles Times. June 1, 2021. Accessed June 2, 2021 (https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-06-01/70-percent-adult-californians-partially-vaccinated-covid-19)
When You’ve Been Fully Vaccinated. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Last updated May 16, 2021. Accessed June 4, 2021
(https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated.html)
Marc Skobac and Lisbeth Karpman, convention-goers and interviewees
Secondary Sources:
A List of What’s Been Canceled Because of the Coronavirus. The New York Times. January 21, 2021. Accessed June 5, 2021. (https://www.nytimes.com/article/cancelled-events-coronavirus.html)
Statt, Nick. Comic-Con will hold an in-person event in San Diego over Thanksgiving weekend. The Verge. March 28, 2021. Accessed June 6, 2021
(https://www.theverge.com/2021/3/28/22355081/comic-con-november-event-in-person-2021-announced-dates)
The Fancons official website. Accessed June 2, 2021. (https://fancons.com/)
