scholarly journals Resuming professional football (soccer) during the COVID-19 pandemic in a country with high infection rates: a prospective cohort study

2021 ◽  
pp. bjsports-2020-103724
Author(s):  
Yorck Olaf Schumacher ◽  
Montassar Tabben ◽  
Khalid Hassoun ◽  
Asmaa Al Marwani ◽  
Ibrahim Al Hussein ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cohort Study ◽  
Prospective Cohort Study ◽  
Prospective Cohort ◽  
Preventive Measures ◽  
Clinical Symptoms ◽  
Severe Illness ◽  
Football Players ◽  
Professional Football ◽  
Infection Rates ◽  
High Infection

ObjectivesThe risk of viral transmission associated with contact sports such as football (soccer) during the COVID-19 pandemic is unknown. The aim of this study was to describe the infective and immune status of professional football players, team staff and league officials over a truncated football season resumed at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in a country with high infection rates and to investigate the clinical symptoms related to COVID-19 infection in professional football players.MethodsProspective cohort study of 1337 football players, staff and officials during a truncated football season (9 weeks) with a tailored infection control programme based on preventive measures and regular SARS-CoV-2 PCR swab testing (every 3–5 days) combined with serology testing for immunity (every 4 weeks). Clinical symptoms in positive participants were recorded using a 26-item, Likert-Scale-based scoring system.ResultsDuring the study period, 85 subjects returned positive (cycle threshold (cT) ≤30) or reactive (30<cT<40) PCR tests, of which 36 were players. The infection rate was consistent with that of the general population during the same time period. More than half of infected subjects were asymptomatic, and the remaining had only mild symptoms with no one requiring hospitalisation. Symptom severity was associated with lower cT values. Social contacts and family were the most common sources of infection, and no infection could be traced to training or matches. Of the 36 infected players, 15 presented positive serology during the study period.ConclusionFootball played outdoors involving close contact between athletes represents a limited risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe illness when preventive measures are in place.

scholarly journals Resuming professional football (soccer) during the COVID-19 pandemic in a country with high infection rates: A prospective cohort study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yorck Olaf Schumacher ◽  
Montassar Tabben ◽  
Khalid Hassoun ◽  
Asmaa Al Marwani ◽  
Ibrahim Al Hussain ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cohort Study ◽  
Prospective Cohort Study ◽  
Prospective Cohort ◽  
Preventive Measures ◽  
Clinical Symptoms ◽  
Severe Illness ◽  
Football Players ◽  
Professional Football ◽  
Infection Rates ◽  
High Infection

AbstractObjectivesThe risk of viral transmission associated with contact sports such as football (soccer) during the COVID-19 pandemic is unknown. The aim of this study was to describe the infective and immune status of professional football players, team staff and league officials over a truncated football season resumed at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in a country with high infection rates and to investigate the clinical symptoms related to COVID-19 infection in professional football players.MethodsProspective cohort study of 1337 football players, staff and officials during a truncated football season (9 weeks) with a tailored infection control program based on preventive measures and regular SARS-CoV-2 PCR swab testing (every 3-5 days) combined with serology testing for immunity (every 4 weeks). Clinical symptoms in positive participants were recorded using a 26-item, Likert-scale-based scoring system.ResultsDuring the study period, 85 subjects returned positive (cycle threshold (cT)≤30) or reactive (30<cT<40) PCR tests, of which 36 were players. The infection rate was consistent with that of the general population during the same time period. More than half of infected subjects were asymptomatic, and the remaining had only mild symptoms with no one requiring hospitalization. Symptom severity was associated with lower cT values. Social contacts and family were the most common sources of infection, and no infection could be traced to training or matches. Of the 36 infected players, 15 presented positive serology during the study period.ConclusionFootball played outdoors involving close contact between athletes represents a limited risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe illness when preventive measures are in place.

A Prospective Cohort Study of Load and Wellness (Sleep, Fatigue, Soreness, Stress, and Mood) in Elite Junior Australian Football Players

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 829-840 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy J.H. Lathlean ◽  
Paul B. Gastin ◽  
Stuart V. Newstead ◽  
Caroline F. Finch
Keyword(s):  
Cohort Study ◽  
Confidence Interval ◽  
Prospective Cohort Study ◽  
Prospective Cohort ◽  
Perceived Exertion ◽  
Training Session ◽  
Load Ratio ◽  
Rating Of Perceived Exertion ◽  
Football Players ◽  
Australian Football

Purpose:To investigate associations between load (training and competition) and wellness in elite junior Australian Football players across 1 competitive season.Methods:A prospective cohort study was conducted during the 2014 playing season in 562 players from 9 teams. Players recorded their training and match intensities according to the session-rating-of-perceived-exertion (sRPE) method. Based on sRPE player loads, a number of load variables were quantified, including cumulative load and the change in load across different periods of time (including the acute-to-chronic load ratio). Wellness was quantified using a wellness index including sleep, fatigue, soreness, stress, and mood on a Likert scale from 1 to 5.Results:Players spent an average of 85 (21) min in each match and 65 (31) min per training session. Average match loads were 637 (232) arbitrary units, and average training loads were 352 (233) arbitrary units. Over the 24 wk of the 2014 season, overall wellness had a significant linear negative association with 1-wk load (B = −0.152; 95% confidence interval, −0.261 to −0.043;P = .006) and an inverseU-curve relationship with session load (B = −0.078; 95% confidence interval, 0.143 to 0.014;P = .018). Mood, stress, and soreness were all found to have associations with load.Conclusions:This study demonstrates that load (within a session and across the week) is important in managing the wellness of elite junior Australian Football players. Quantifying loads and wellness at this level will help optimize player management and has the potential to reduce the risk of adverse events such as injury.

scholarly journals Multifactorial individualised programme for hamstring muscle injury risk reduction in professional football: protocol for a prospective cohort study

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. e000758
Author(s):  
Johan Lahti ◽  
Jurdan Mendiguchia ◽  
Juha Ahtiainen ◽  
Luis Anula ◽  
Tuomas Kononen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cohort Study ◽  
Risk Reduction ◽  
Prospective Cohort Study ◽  
Prospective Cohort ◽  
Injury Risk ◽  
Cox Regression ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Professional Football ◽  
Hamstring Muscle ◽  
Cox Regression Analysis

IntroductionHamstring muscle injuries (HMI) continue to plague professional football. Several scientific publications have encouraged a multifactorial approach; however, no multifactorial HMI risk reduction studies have been conducted in professional football. Furthermore, individualisation of HMI management programmes has only been researched in a rehabilitation setting. Therefore, this study aims to determine if a specific multifactorial and individualised programme can reduce HMI occurrence in professional football.Methods and analysisWe conducted a prospective cohort study over two seasons within the Finnish Premier League and compare the amount of HMI sustained during a control season to an intervention season. Injury data and sport exposure were collected during the two seasons (2019–2020), and a multifactorial and individualised HMI risk reduction programme will be implemented during intervention season (2020). After a hamstring screening protocol is completed, individual training will be defined for each player within several categories: lumbo-pelvic control, range of motion, posterior chain strength, sprint mechanical output and an additional non-individualised ‘training for all players’ category. Screening and respective updates to training programmes were conducted three times during the season. The outcome will be to compare if there is a significant effect of the intervention on the HMI occurrence using Cox regression analysis.Ethics and disseminationApproval for the injury and sport exposure data collection was obtained by the Saint-Etienne University Hospital Ethics Committee (request number: IORG0007394; record number IRBN322016/CHUSTE). Approval for the intervention season was obtained from the Central Finland healthcare District (request and record number: U6/2019).

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