Real-Time Estimation and Monitoring of COVID-19 Aerosol Transmission Risk in Office Buildings.

A healthy and safe indoor environment is an important part of containing the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Therefore, this work presents a real-time Internet of things (IoT) software architecture to automatically calculate and visualize a COVID-19 aerosol transmission risk estimation. This risk estimation is based on indoor climate sensor data, such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and temperature, which is fed into Streaming MASSIF, a semantic stream processing platform, to perform the computations. The results are visualized on a dynamic dashboard that automatically suggests appropriate visualizations based on the semantics of the data. To evaluate the complete architecture, the indoor climate during the student examination periods of January 2020 (pre-COVID) and January 2021 (mid-COVID) was analyzed. When compared to each other, we observe that the COVID-19 measures in 2021 resulted in a safer indoor environment.

Association between SARS-COV-2 infection and muscle strain injury occurrence in elite male football players: a prospective study of 29 weeks including three teams from the Belgian professional football league.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between SARS-CoV-2 infection and muscle strain injury in elite athletes. METHODS: A prospective cohort study in three Belgian professional male football teams was performed during the first half of the 2020-2021 season (June 2020-January 2021). Injury data were collected using established surveillance methods. Assessment of SARS-CoV-2 infection was performed by a PCR test before each official game. RESULTS: Of the 84 included participants, 22 were infected with SARS-CoV-2 and 14 players developed a muscle strain during the follow-up period. Cox's proportional hazards regression analyses demonstrated a significant association between SARS-CoV-2 infection and the development of muscle strain (HR 5.1; 95% CI 1.1 to 23.1; p=0.037), indicating an increased risk of developing muscle strains following SARS-CoV-2 infection. All athletes who sustained a muscle strain after infection were injured within the first month (15.71±11.74 days) after sports resumption and completed a longer time in quarantine (14.57±6.50 days) compared with the infected players who did not develop a muscle strain (11.18±5.25 days). CONCLUSION: This study reported a five times higher risk of developing a muscle strain after a SARS-CoV-2 infection in elite male football players. Although this association should be examined further, it is possible that short-term detraining effects due to quarantine, and potentially pathological effects of the SARS-CoV-2 infection are associated with a higher risk of muscle strain injury.

The association between COVID-19 and muscle strain injury occurrence in elite soccer players: a prospective study

BackgroundBecause of the high injury rate currently seen in soccer players and the exceptional pandemic circumstances, the question arises to what extent this reported increase in injury incidence is associated with COVID-19.ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to investigate the association between COVID-19 and muscle strain injury occurrence in elite athletes.DesignA prospective cohort studySettingDuring the first half of the 2020–2021 season, injury data was collected by using the UEFA injury card. Assessment of SARS-CoV-2 infection was performed by means of a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test before each official game.Patients (or Participants)Three Belgian professional male soccer teams (84 players in total) participated.Interventions (or Assessment of Risk Factors)Regression analysis was performed to identify the risk of developing a muscle strain injury after SARS-CoV-2 infection.Main Outcome MeasurementsMuscle strain injury, COVID-19 diagnosis, quarantine duration.ResultsEighteen players developed a muscle strain injury during the study period (June 2020- January 2021), of which 11 players were diagnosed with COVID-19. Regression analysis showed a significant association between SARS-CoV-2 infection and the development of muscle strain injuries (p=0.010). The athletes that developed a muscle strain injury after COVID-19 diagnosis were all injured within the first month (15.71 ± 11.74 days) after sports resumption and showed a longer quarantine duration (14.57 ± 6.50 days) compared to the SARS-CoV-2 infected players that did not develop a muscle strain injury (11.18 ± 5.25 days).ConclusionThis study demonstrated a five-time higher risk to develop a muscle strain injury after a SARS-CoV-2 infection in elite soccer players. Although this should be examined further, it seems possible that short-term detraining effects due to quarantine are associated with a higher risk of muscle strain injury and could possibly be related to lower physical readiness and higher rates of fatigue.

The association between COVID-19 and physical performance in professional football players: a prospective cohort study

BackgroundCOVID-19 substantially impacts cardiorespiratory functioning, potentially affecting physical performance of elite athletes.ObjectiveTo investigate the association between COVID-19 and physical performance in elite male football players.DesignA prospective cohort study during the first half of the 2020–2021 season.SettingBelgian professional football.Participants84 players of three elite football teams.AssessmentsStrength tests (Nordbord and Groinbar), vertical jump tests (Squat jump and Countermovement jump) and the YoYo Intermittent Recovery test - Level 1 (YYIR1) were assessed at fixed time intervals throughout the season. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing was performed before each official game to detect COVID-19 infection.Main Outcome MeasurementsAthletic performance was evaluated by within- and between group comparison.ResultsTwenty-two subjects tested positive for COVID-19 during the follow-up period. When comparing heart rate (HR) values (normalized to the athlete’s maximal HR) during YYIR1 between formerly infected players and healthy controls of the first testing after infection (52 ± 11.23 days after positive PCR testing), a significantly higher HR was found in formerly infected players at 3 minutes (p=0.017) and a trend towards significance was found at 6 minutes (p=0.061). These in-between group differences were resolved at the second testing after infection (127.62 ± 33.10 days after positive PCR testing). When comparing the YYIR results before and after infection within the group of infected players, trends towards significantly higher HR at 3 (p=0.057) and 6 minutes (p=0.068) were seen, with no residual within group differences at the second testing after infection. Interestingly, none of the strength and vertical jump tests presented any association with COVID-19 infection.ConclusionsIntermittent aerobic endurance capacity evaluated by the YYIR1 test was established to be significantly lower in professional football players previously infected with COVID-19. These decrements appeared to resolve with time.