Contact and SARS-CoV-2 Infections Among College Football Athletes in the Southeastern Conference During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Dixon, B; Fischer, R.; Zhao, Hongwei; O’Neal, Catherine; Clugston, James R.; Gibbs, Shawn G.

doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.35566

Cited by 17 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 6 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Additionally, only 1.2% of 3529 COVID-19 positive NCAA student athletes reported lingering symptomatology >3 weeks following SARS-CoV-2 infection [ 24 ]. Our rigorous COVID-19 testing protocol (COVID-19 testing 3x/week) appeared to be effective in reducing the spread of COVID-19 amongst athletes, as similarly verified in a cohort of Southeastern Conference collegiate football players [ 7 ]. Most COVID-19 spread amongst athletes seems to occur at social gatherings and in communal living arrangements, rather than during official training and competition, [ 4 , 7 ] as anecdotally supported in our swimming cohort.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 76%

“…Team outbreaks [ 3 ], unplanned lockdowns [ 2 ], frequent quarantines [ 4 ], and delays associated with the routine testing, masking, and social distance protocols [ 4 , 5 ] severely undermined both training quality and quantity. Moreover, the athlete-specific health risks associated with competitive exercise included the development of myocarditis [ 6 ], increased transmission with close-contact sports [ 7 , 8 ], and/or augmented infection risk due to excessive exercise-induced immunosuppression [ 9 ]. However, these hypothesized risks to athletes remain complex and controversial [ 7 , 10 , 11 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Moreover, the athlete-specific health risks associated with competitive exercise included the development of myocarditis [ 6 ], increased transmission with close-contact sports [ 7 , 8 ], and/or augmented infection risk due to excessive exercise-induced immunosuppression [ 9 ]. However, these hypothesized risks to athletes remain complex and controversial [ 7 , 10 , 11 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Pandemic-Induced Reductions on Swim Training Volume and Performance in Collegiate Swimmers

Perez

VanSumeren

Brown

et al. 2021

IJERPH

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant training disruptions during the 2020–2021 season, due to lockdowns, quarantines, and strict adherence to the pandemic protocols. The main purpose of this study was to determine how the pandemic training restrictions affected training volume and performance in one collegiate swim team. Cumulative training volume data across a 28-week season were compared between a pandemic (2020–2021) versus non-pandemic (2019–2020) season. The swimmers were categorized into three groups (sprinters, mid-distance, and long-distance) based on their training group. The performance times of 25 swimmers who competed in the regional championships, during both the non-pandemic and pandemic year, were compared via one-way ANOVA. Twenty-six male and 22 female swimmers commenced the 2020–2021 (pandemic) season, with 23% of the swimmers voluntarily opting out. Three COVID-19 cases were confirmed (2%) by the medical staff, with no long-term effects. Significant reductions in the average swim volume were verified in sprinters (32,867 ± 10,135 vs. 14,800 ± 7995 yards; p < 0.001), mid-distance (26,457 ± 10,692 vs. 17,054 ± 9.923 yards; p < 0.001), and long-distance (37,600 ± 14,430 vs. 22,254 ± 14,418 yards; p < 0.001) swimmers (non-pandemic vs. pandemic season, respectively). In the regional performance analyses, the sprinters swam faster (n = 8; −0.5 ± 0.6 s), while the mid-distance (n = 10; 0.17 ± 2.1 s) and long-distance (n = 7; 6.0 ± 4.9 s) swimmers swam slower (F = 11.76; p = 0.0003; r2 = 0.52). Thus, the pandemic caused significant reductions in swim training volume, with sprinters performing better and long-distance swimmers performing worse at the regional championships.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 76%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Pandemic-Induced Reductions on Swim Training Volume and Performance in Collegiate Swimmers

Perez

VanSumeren

Brown

et al. 2021

IJERPH

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Dixon et al investigated the risk of viral transmission in US college football games. They showed among 1190 athletes and a total of 64 games no infection of other players, despite having contact with a positive player (Dixon et al, 2021 ). Two other studies used video recordings of soccer matches to investigate the contact times of players.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Case Report: Assessing COVID-19 Transmission in Professional Volleyball in Germany, September to December 2020: An Epidemiological Study

Morath¹,

Barsch²,

Lazaro³

et al. 2022

Front. Sports Act. Living

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

IntroductionThe SARS-CoV-2 pandemic poses extraordinary challenges in all fields of daily life. The WHO recommended social distancing guidelines and person-to-person contact was strongly discouraged to contain transmission. Team-based sports were questioned and widely debated. However, there is a lack of available evidence on the risk of in-game SARS-CoV-2 transmission. We aim to derive new insights regarding the risk of SARS-CoV2 infection during team sports and provide current opinion on how to behave during training and competition.MethodsWe report on six competitive male volleyball players (national level) of the same team who were infected with COVID-19. The mode of transmission and potential virus spreading within the team was investigated. The entire course of infection was documented by detailed medical history of the players and RT-PCR tests confirmed suspected infections. Serological testing was performed to establish the antibody status of the team.ResultsThe investigation did not show strong evidence of viral transmission within the team during sporting activities. Only two players with PCR-proven infection hat detectable antibodies in two antibody assays.ConclusionPrivate and social gatherings can spread infection into team sports. Clearly defined test strategies and strict adherence to standard COVID-19 hygiene guidelines during sports seasons cannot be overemphasized.

show abstract

“…The most important is ventilation, with outdoor transmission almost never identified. 1 , 67 Indoor environments were noted to be important very early after the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 based on associations with clusters of transmission in Japan during its first wave. 68 Environmental factors like lower ambient temperatures and higher relative humidity may also be associated with increased transmission risk.…”

Section: Determinants Of Infectiousnessmentioning

confidence: 99%

SARS-CoV-2 Transmission and Prevention in the Era of the Delta Variant

Meyerowitz

Richterman

2022

Infectious Disease Clinics of North America

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Synopsis The SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant transmits much more rapidly than prior SARS-CoV-2 viruses. The primary mode of transmission is via short range aerosols that are emitted from the respiratory tract of an index case. There is marked heterogeneity in the spread of this virus, with 10-20% of index cases contributing to 80% of secondary cases while most index cases have no subsequent transmissions. Vaccination, ventilation, masking, eye protection, and rapid case identification with contact tracing and isolation can all reduce transmission of this virus.

show abstract

Contact and SARS-CoV-2 Infections Among College Football Athletes in the Southeastern Conference During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract: Author Contributions: Drs Fischer and Dixon had full access to all of the data in the study and take responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis.

Cited by 17 publications

References 6 publications

Pandemic-Induced Reductions on Swim Training Volume and Performance in Collegiate Swimmers

Pandemic-Induced Reductions on Swim Training Volume and Performance in Collegiate Swimmers

Case Report: Assessing COVID-19 Transmission in Professional Volleyball in Germany, September to December 2020: An Epidemiological Study

SARS-CoV-2 Transmission and Prevention in the Era of the Delta Variant

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About