That has been reflected in football as well, with 50 matches already having been cancelled since Christmas, whilst the latest round of tests of Premier League players has returned 18 positive results. Arsenal, Manchester City, Burnley, Sheffield United, Newcastle, Wolves and Fulham have all had at least one squad member test positive, and many believe that number will rise.
At the moment the UK government has no plans to change its guidance for elite sports, but that may change as the situation continues to evolve.
The Premier League has strict health and safety protocols in place which, up until now, have helped insulate it from the worst of the pandemic. The problems arise when the players leave the bio-secure facilities of their training grounds and stadiums and return home where they come into contact with family members who have not been subject to the same strict measures.
And the number of footballers who have contracted it may be even higher than currently reported because the divisions below Premier League level are not testing players for the virus with the same degree of regularity.
All this may come to the fore when the third round of the FAP Cup is played featuring 64 teams from across the leagues, all of whom will be tested before the games are played. Already the football authorities are bracing themselves for a swathe of postponements.
There will be those within football who will oppose any break because it will cause even more fixture congestion in what is already a crowded season. And there is also the argument that putting things on hold for a few weeks will be detrimental to national morale at a time when many are turning to watching football as a means of escape from the prevailing gloom.