An amateur ice hockey game in Florida may have sparked a small outbreak of Covid-19 in June, according to an exam by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released Thursday that represents one of the first officially documented cases of the spread of coronavirus through sport, raising new questions as U. S. sports leagues move forward with their seasons.
A tampa boy reported symptoms of coronavirus the day after playing in the hockey game, meaning he stuck the virus before the game, according to the CDC study.
Five days later, at least 14 other people on the indoor track tested positive for the virus or had symptoms: 8 of the man’s 11 teammates, five other people from the opposing team and a member of the track team, the other 15 people later. recovered The virus.
The 22 players were dressed in masks while on the ice or in the locker room.
The exam is one of the first to look for Covid-19 at sporting events, scattered reports have emerged across the country: dozens of others tested positive after a football game in Kentucky in July, and 52 cases were reported after an Iowa baseball tournament.
After the states relaxing their social estating regulations during the summer, many professional and amateur sports leagues enthusiastically resumed the game. Despite additional precautions added by the top leagues, CDC experts and officials have warned that athletes can still transmit the virus, especially in sports such as football and hockey, where close contact with teammates and competition is the maximum, it is unlikely to be avoided. But Thursday’s CDC exam is one of only official reviews of whether sports games can become mass market events.
Several NFL groups have reported cases of coronavirus in recent weeks, forcing the league to postpone certain games. The Tennessee Titans are the most beaten team, with approximately two dozen infected players and personnel. There is little evidence that players are contracting the virus from an opposing team, however, some observers are concerned that it is difficult to avoid wider epidemics within individual groups as players and coaches continue to cross the country.
Sports restart has a plan for an entire coronavirus outbreak (Wall Street Journal)
Sport causes epidemics, restarting the game anyway?(Minneapolis Star Tribune)
I’m a last-minute news reporter in Forbes. Previously, I covered local news for the Boston Guardian and graduated from Tufts University in 2019.
I’m a last-minute news reporter at Forbes. Before, I was covering local news for the Boston Guardian and graduating from Tufts University in 2019. You can contact me jwalsh@forbes. com.