Coronavirus Forces Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune to Scrap Live Audiences

Americas favorite game shows are now affected by the coronavirus . and have made the executive decision to film without a studio audience in light of the outbreak. The decision, first reported by , was made over concerns for the shows audience, made up of more senior members and tourists.

Both of the shows' hosts have also had health issues recently. Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek is currently battling Stage 4 pancreatic cancer , while Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak went into this past November for an intestinal blockage. Current understanding and data has found that older people, men, and those with immunocompromised systems have higher risks for COVID-19.

This news comes after from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, which warned U.S. citizens that many will become sick as the outbreak continues to spread domestically.

Its fair to say that as the trajectory of the outbreak continues, many people in the United States will at some pointeither this year or nextbe exposed to this virus. And theres a good chance that many will become sick," said Nancy Messonnier, director of CDCs National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.

Since its in Wuhan, China in December 2019, the coronavirus continues to spread globally with close to 100,000 cases across 85 countries. People have been advised to , work from home, and avoid large public outings as safety precaution.