More than two months have passed since the last professional sporting event in the United States. But the time for the return of sport may be on the horizon.
The NBA has considered playing the rest of its season in one city with fewer games, and Major League Baseball has discussed playing its entire season in Arizona.
But as sports leagues seek to restart, there are a few guidelines to follow to avoid the risk of a coronavirus pandemic. Dr. Glenn Copeland, medical advisor to the Toronto Blue Jays and advisor to QuestCap, a company that works with sports leagues to recover the sport, says leagues must adhere to the following guidelines for a safe return of sports to players , supporters and stadium workers
Divide the installations into three zones.
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“Each installation will have three different zones. The outer zone is the free zone where the world lives. The central area is at the entrance to the facility / arena where all participants, players, coaches, coaches and team leaders will be evaluated, “said Copeland to MarketWatch.
The third area is the “inner area” where those who test negative for COVID-19 can go. This is also where the real games and competitions will take place.
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Entering is like entering Fort Knox.
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These are guidelines for situations where there are no fans.
Whenever a person wishes to enter the interior zone, he must first be tested at the entrance to the arena, also known as the central zone. Without exception. When and if a person has a negative result for the coronavirus, he will be allowed to enter the interior area.
Copeland emphasizes that it is not necessary for those who have crossed the middle area to wear cords or bracelets to demonstrate that they have given a negative result to the COVID-19 test. Indeed, only those who are virus free can enter this area.
Entering is like entering Fort Knox.
People can simply leave the protected indoor area to enter the outdoor area. According to Copeland, specialist staff, like players, can quickly control temperature and symptoms by leaving the indoor area, but most others can leave as they wish.
This concept is similar to how airports work: a series of checkpoints to enter but leave the protected area is as easy as leaving.
“Once the test shows that the participant does not have COVID, he will be allowed to enter the interior area, which will be as COVID free as possible. This test will be done every day when participants leave the outdoor space and seek to enter the play facilities / indoor space, ”says Copeland.
Even in the outer zone, everyone should maintain patterns of social distancing.
Test everyone, every day
“Everyone. Anyone who goes to the indoor area. Media, players, coaches, cleaners, catering. Everyone,” says Copeland.
As indicated above, the tests will be performed in the middle area as a prerequisite for accessing the inner area.
According to Copeland, proving that everyone goes inside is more feasible because “there will be absolutely no fans” at the events. Although no official fan presence rules have been published, most reports on the resumption of sports indicate fans will not be present.
“It will include antibody / antigen tests, nasal swab tests when indicated, temperature checks, symptom checks and assessment by a health care provider before entering the interior area.”
Tests should be performed daily for those trying to enter the interior area, regardless of the symptoms.
Collect daily information about all participants
“Collecting all medical data from all participants on a daily basis is also mandatory and we will learn a lot about sports and the medical world while we are constantly monitoring healthy athletes,” Copeland recommends.
Copeland recommends collecting data every time people change areas. Test results, symptoms and temperature will be recorded in the central area by league and team personnel with private data encryption software.
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“Hopefully we will be able to detect early symptoms, whether related to temperature changes or physical symptoms or blood tests, which may indicate an early onset of infection.” Results like these would be very useful in examining the new world of sport so that we can recognize possible early stage infections and prevent the spread. “
At the present time, the sports leagues have not indicated how close the player’s family members, coaches or team staff will be when the leagues resume play.
Athletes need to change the way they interact.
“There cannot be tapping, cuddling, congratulations or close contact that is not part of real sport. Bottles of water, towels and other equipment such as heated bats can no longer be shared, ”advises Copeland.
Players who go out of their way to avoid congratulating themselves or crashing all five will seem strange to viewers, but Copeland says it’s an important way to reduce the risk.
In addition, there is a higher risk factor in a sport like basketball than baseball when it comes to contact in the game. In baseball, there is almost no physical contact, while players basketball come into contact with each other at almost every game.
“All equipment in the weight room and other areas must be disinfected between each use by the players. All uniforms and personal equipment will be disinfected daily, including the padding, helmets, shirts and underwear. Each clubhouse must be completely disinfected at least twice every 24 hours. “
Social distancing must remain in place, even in the “inner zone”
“The social distance in the clubhouse, the dining room, the weight room and the coaching room must be respected. Self-regulation of all participants will be very important… where those participants eat, sleep and socialize will be more important, ”says Copeland.
Copeland states that even in the safest areas of the three demarcated areas, large gatherings should not be allowed.
“There will be no large gatherings, especially outside the indoor area. Unfortunately, he will not mingle with the fans, the autographs will be signed or friends who are not part of the participating team will not be socialized . “
The NBA could be the first professional sport in the United States to resume, as the league points to a restart of the game in June or July at Walt Disney World Resort.
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Property in Orlando, according to The Athletic.