covid-19 information

 COVID-19 is the name of the disease that is caused by the Severe Acute  Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). This is a new virus  recently identified in Wuhan, China. Currently there are seven types of  Coronavirus that are known to infect humans, four of those commonly  circulate in the community and generally result in minor illness such as  the common cold. The remaining two are associated with significant  illness being Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV)  and Severe Acute Respiratory Virus (SARS). 

 COVID-19 results in a spectrum of illness ranging from possible  asymptomatic carriage, common cold to severe cases requiring hospital  admission. In a small minority of cases, COVID-19 can be fatal.

The  early epidemiological characteristics published should be interpreted  with caution. Patients with milder disease would be less likely to seek  medical attention and therefore may not be included in the statistics.

Epidemiological reports from patients who received medical attention in China suggest the following breakdown of COVID-19 cases:

• 1% have no symptoms
• 81% have mild symptoms like the common cold
• 14% have severe symptoms that cause them to miss work and/or attend hospital
• 5% have severe symptoms, often requiring ICU admission (including a fatality rate of about 2.3%)

(Wu & McGoogan, 2020).

 The most common symptoms are fever, cough and shortness of breath. It  can be difficult to tell the difference between COVID-19 and other  common respiratory illness particularly in the early stages of illness.  Individuals should consult with their doctor by calling ahead. The  doctor can take a thorough history, including travel history, perform a  physical exam and make a recommendation regarding testing for COVID-19. 

Analysis of the number of cases from the Diamond Princess suggests that COVID-19 is more contagious than seasonal influenza.

This  can change based on the circumstances the outbreak is occurring in and  it is expected this will be refined over time as more is known.

At this point it is expected that for every case of diagnosed COVID-19, a further 2 to 3 cases will be diagnosed.

The virus is transmitted primarily through respiratory droplets.  There is ongoing research to determine if there are other possible modes  of transmission such as faecal or through the air.

Infected  individuals who are currently unwell are far more likely to be  contagious than infectious individuals who have no symptoms. Australians  who have travelled overseas in the last 14 days, or have come into  contact with a known case of COVID-19 are considered to be at risk.

 Hand hygiene remains the single best action individuals can take to  reduce their risk of acquiring any respiratory or gastrointestinal tract  infection. Annual influenza vaccination remains an important infection  prevention measure.

You should be vigilant with frequent hand  washing using soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub. Make sure you  adhere to 'illness etiquette'. If you are coughing and sneezing, do so  away from people into a tissue, your elbow or hands. If you cough or  sneeze into your hands, make sure you wash your hands afterwards. Do no  attend training if you are feeling unwell and seek medical review early  if you have mild symptoms.

 Unwell members of the team should not be permitted to attend training or attend work.

Social distancing is an effective measure that can contribute to the reduction of transmission of COVID-19 in the community.

Exercise and maintaining your level of fitness remains an important part of physical and mental health for everyone.

For those who are well, they should continue to train, within the current restrictions on public gatherings.

Athletes  should discuss with their national sporting organisations and coaching  staff methods for continuing to exercise and maintain their fitness  through this period.

 In planning for the post COVID-19 pandemic period, sports will need to  have built in infection control measures to their daily approach. Teams  travelling or living together represent a risk similar to that described  for boarding schools and community sport. Each sport should “consider  the risks versus the benefits” of staying in a team training  environment, and consider the resources available to follow social  isolation procedures while that environment.  

 In a team environment there will be increased proximity and duration of  physical contact that can facilitate transmission of respiratory and  gastrointestinal pathogens. Research in respiratory infections in  travelling sporting teams suggests that the most likely pattern of  spread occurs from within a team, rather than from  external sources. When an unwell team member joins the team, due to the  regular close physical contact between team members the infections can  spread readily within a team (Valtonen et al., 2019).