ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The 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. METHODS: Prospective 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. RESULTS: During the study period, 85 subjects returned positive (cycle threshold (cT) ≤30) or reactive (30Subject(s)
COVID-19 Testing
, COVID-19/diagnosis
, COVID-19/transmission
, Communicable Disease Control
, Family Health
, Soccer/statistics & numerical data
, Social Interaction
, Adult
, COVID-19/immunology
, COVID-19/prevention & control
, Carrier State
, Humans
, Pandemics
, Prospective Studies
, Qatar/epidemiology
, SARS-CoV-2/isolation & purification