The spread of COVID-19 in athletes.

Background/objectives: According to the reported cases, more than 100 athletes were infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in March 2020 alone, and this has created an increased interest in the effect of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on athletes. This promoted us to study the spread of COVID-19 in athletes and formulate prevention strategies. Methodology: We collected and analyzed the demographic information, such as nationality, sex, age, name, sport played, sport level, source and cause of infection, date of symptoms onset or confirmation of positive status, date of recovery, location of infection contraction, symptoms, and the people infected by the contracted athletes, of 521 infected athletes worldwide, as of the end of July, 2020. Results: The cohort comprised 95.49% male athletes; 57.2% were aged 19-35 years, with the average age 23 years. Most of these cases emerged in March 2020 (27.3%) and June 2020 (30.1%), 90.8% of cases were active athletes and 74.2% were professional players, 45.2% of infected athletes exhibited mild symptoms and 30.6% of them were asymptomatic; however, 23.1% of the cases died, including cases aged less than 40 years. Most infected athletes represented soccer (46.6%), football (15.9%), and basketball (10.9%). Most of the infected athletes were from the United States, Western Europe, and Eastern Asia. The athletes primarily contracted the infection in the United States, Western Europe, and Japan. The spread of COVID-19 in these athletes primarily occurred during training- and game-related activities. More than 60% of the infected athletes were unaware of their source of infection. Conclusion: It found that the halting of training and matches, isolation of athletes at home, and timely testing can effectively control the spread of COVID-19 among athletes, and it is recommended that athletes discontinue international travel, especially to countries with a high epidemic risk.

Contexte/objectifs: Rien qu'en mars 2020, plus de 100 athlètes auraient été infectés par le coronavirus 2 du syndrome respiratoire aigu sévère, ce qui nous a amenés à étudier la propagation du COVID-19 et à élaborer des stratégies de prévention. Méthodologie: Nous avons recueilli et analysé des données démographiques sur la nationalité, le sexe, l'âge, le nom, le projet sportif, le niveau de mouvement, l'origine et les causes de l'infection, la date de l'apparition ou de la confirmation de l'état positif, la date du rétablissement, l'emplacement de la contraction, les symptômes et les personnes infectées de 521 athlètes infectés. Au niveau mondial, à la fin de juillet 2020. Résultats: Il y a 95,49 % d'hommes dans ce groupe ; 57,2 % sont âgés de 19 à 35 ans et l'âge moyen est de 23 ans. Au maximum, en mars 2020 (27,3 %) et en juin 2020 (30,1 %), 90,8 % étaient des athlètes actifs, 74,2 % des athlètes professionnels, 45,2 % des athlètes infectés présentaient des symptômes modérés et 30,6 % ne présentaient aucun symptôme. Au total, 23,1 % des cas sont mortels, dont les moins de 40 ans. Les athlètes infectés sont principalement le football (46,6 %), le football (15,9 %) et le basket-ball (10,9 %). Les athlètes infectés venaient principalement d'Europe occidentale et des États-Unis. Ces athlètes ont été infectés principalement aux États-Unis, en Europe occidentale et au Japon. La diffusion du COVID-19 parmi ces athlètes se fait principalement dans le cadre d'activités de formation et de compétition. Plus de 60 % des athlètes infectés ne savent pas d'où ils viennent infection. Conclusions: Constatant que l'arrêt de l'entraînement et des compétitions, l'isolement des athlètes chez eux et la détection rapide permettent de contrôler efficacement la propagation du COVID-19 chez les athlètes, et recommandant aux athlètes de cesser de voyager à l'étranger, en particulier pour les pays à haut risque épidémiologique.

Avoidance of Healthcare Utilization in South Korea during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic

Avoidance of healthcare utilization among the general population during pandemic outbreaks has been observed and it can lead to a negative impact on population health. The object of this study is to examine the influence of socio-demographic and health-related factors on the avoidance of healthcare utilization during the global outbreak of a novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in 2020. Data were collected through an online survey four weeks after the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) confirmed the first case in South Korea;1000 subjects were included in the analysis. The logit model for regression was used to analyze the associations between sociodemographic and health-related factors regarding the avoidance of healthcare utilization. Among the participants, 73.2% avoided healthcare utilization, and there was no significant difference in the prevalence of healthcare avoidance between groups with (72.0%) and without (74.9%) an underlying disease. Sociodemographic characteristics (e.g., gender, age, income level, and residential area) were related to healthcare avoidance. Among the investigated influencing factors, residential areas highly affected by COVID-19 (i.e., Daegu/Gyeoungbuk region) had the most significant effect on healthcare avoidance. This study found a high prevalence of healthcare avoidance among the general population who under-utilized healthcare resources during the COVID-19 outbreak. However, the results reveal that not all societal groups share the burden of healthcare avoidance equally, with it disproportionately affecting those with certain sociodemographic characteristics. This study can inform healthcare under-utilization patterns during emerging infectious disease outbreaks and provide information to public health emergency management for implementing strategies necessary to improve the preparedness of the healthcare system.