Health Advisory: Healthcare System Preparedness for Super Bowl

Situational update

Super Bowl LX is taking place in the city of Santa Clara on February 8, 2026, and related mass gatherings in the Bay Area are occurring during the week of February 2nd, with many events in San Francisco.

These events will draw a large number of travelers to our region during the winter respiratory season when the transmission and healthcare burden of viral illnesses like influenza, COVID-19, RSV, and norovirus are often high. In January of 2026, nine measles cases have been confirmed in California with approximately 600 cases reported across the United States. Travelers may come from domestic and international locations with communicable diseases that are not endemic to our region. As is always the case, mass events may also be targets for bioterrorism or violence.

Healthcare systems should be prepared to address a surge in seasonal illnesses, high-consequence infections such as measles, and event-related illnesses such as foodborne outbreaks. Timely diagnosis, reporting of potential outbreaks, and effective infection control practices are critical for preventing additional transmission.

Actions requested of SF clinicians during February 2026:

• Expand differential diagnoses to consider non-endemic diseases (e.g., viral hemorrhagic fevers, arboviral diseases, typhoid) and bioterrorism agents (biological, chemical, or radiological).
• Routinely ask and document patients’ recent travel history (both international and domestic).
• Routinely ask and document attendance at the Super Bowl and associated gatherings, especially when multiple patients present with similar disease syndromes.
• Report any suspected or confirmed reportable diseases and conditions, clusters of disease, or presentations consistent with biological terrorism to the Communicable Disease Branch (628-217-6100). Indicators of disease outbreaks or possible biological terrorism include:
  • An unusual temporal or geographic clustering of illness (e.g., people who attended the same public event or gathering).
  • Increase in serious lower respiratory illness with negative tests for common bacteria and viruses.
  • Patients presenting with clinical signs and symptoms that suggest an infectious disease outbreak (e.g., >2 persons presenting with an unexplained febrile illness).
  • An unusual age distribution for common diseases (e.g., an increase in chickenpox-like illness in adult patients).
  • Single cases of disease due to uncommon, non-endemic agents (e.g., anthrax, plague, tularemia) in patients with no history suggesting an explanation for illness.
  • Large number of cases of acute flaccid paralysis with prominent bulbar palsies, suggestive of a release of botulinum toxin.
• To prevent infections and additional transmission of communicable diseases, remind patients to:
  • Practice good hand hygiene, using soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizers, especially before eating.
    • However, note that alcohol-based hand sanitizers are ineffective against norovirus.
  • Wear a well-fitted, high-quality mask, such as a KN95, in crowded indoor spaces.
  • Avoid eating raw dairy, eggs, or meat products and food items that have been at room temperature for ≥ 2 hours.
  • Stay home from school, work, or events until fever-free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication and other acute symptoms have resolved.

Additional Resources:

Food Safety for Super Bowl | FoodSafety.gov

CDPH Measles Website

CDPH Respiratory Virus Dashboard

Program Contact Information

Communicable Disease Branch

Tel: (628) 217-6100 | Email: cdcontrol@sfdph.org

Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Branch

Tel: (415) 802-7358 | Email: phepr.dph@sfdph.org

Population Health Division

San Francisco Department of Public Health

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