“Another concern is bioterrorism at mass gatherings (like in that Tom Clancy book)”

Apparently the super bowl security papers left in the seat pocket on an airliner were in regard to anthrax.

Well, she’s known for not lip-synching during live performances, makes a deal of it, and said that she wasn’t going to (and didn’t) during the anthem. Which, after all, only lasts a couple of minutes, it’s not like she had to do an entire show with the flu.

No reason not to take her at her words, particularly since no one would really complain if she did because she had the flu. But not lip-synching’s a point of pride with her …

I don’t think we can tell whether she did or did not lip sync, and it doesn’t matter.

I wasn’t upset with the lozenge thing — nothing in comparison to the players’ spitting and more on the field.

You’re right, though, many performers have lip-synched the national anthem, and a higher percentage are thought to have lip-synched their half-time shows (which are longer and don’t involve simply standing in front of a mic and singing)

She didn’t lip-synch, and the “gum” she took out of her mouth just before beginning to sing was a throat lozenge she apparently popped while waiting to sooth her throat.

I couldn’t tell, but then

– my comment was based on history: it’s rare for anyone to really sing at these things

– before seeing the pre-game I could not have picked her out of a picture of performers: I’m not sure I’ve ever heard anything by her

They are. There is an extensive literature, but it tends to focus on different kinds of diseases, such as measles.

But there is a literature on “Mass Gatherings” and influenza. Another concern is bioterrorism at mass gatherings (like in that Tom Clancy book)

But epidemiology is underfunded, and they do tend to focus on health effects that stand out more. So, a second mode bump in the Twin Cities because of the Super Bowl would probably be less important than the increase in morbidity and mortality associated with car accidents (we had over 400 accidents on highways alone on Superbowl Weekend, owing mostly to the weather, but there could have been a Super Bowl effect).

I think she didn’t do that.

Ideally.