COVID-19 Outbreak at Sports Club: Conditions of Occurrence and Causes of the Spread of Infection

Relevance. The new coronavirus infection (COVID-19), which appeared in late 2019 in China, has spread to almost all countries of the world in just a few months. The explosive nature of its spread was accompanied by the formation of large epidemic foci in organizations of various profiles, including leisure and sports. Aims. To establish the conditions and causes of the spread of SARS-CoV-2 among the members of one of the sports clubs based on an in-depth epidemiological analysis. Materials and methods. To study the features of the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in a sports organization, the following documents were used previously developed by the authors and successfully tested in practice: «Act of epidemiological investigation of group and outbreak morbidity of new coronavirus infection (COVID-19) at an enterprise/organization/institution» and «Individual card of a patient with a new coronavirus infection (COVID-19) at the enterprise / organization/institution». In the process of epidemiological investigation, in order to detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA in PCR, a laboratory examination of sports club participants (sick and contact) was conducted, followed by genome-wide sequencing of isolated SARS-CoV-2 viruses on the basis of the Laboratory of Molecular Virology of the A. A. Smorodintsev Influenza Research Institute, which performs these types of studies. Results. Within 17 days, 26 cases of COVID- 19 were registered among the sports team members and staff from the support group (coaching staff, medical staff, administrators), which was 74.3% of their actual number. The majority of patients (76.9%) had mild acute respiratory infection, two (7.7%) had no symptoms, and four (15.4%) had interstitial pneumonia. Of the clinical manifestations of the disease, the most frequent were weakness, fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, difficulty in nasal breathing and serous-mucous discharge from the nose, sore throat, cough, shortness of breath, anosmia and dyspeptic manifestations in the form of diarrhea, nausea or vomiting. The occurrence of the outbreak was the result of the introduction of infection from the opposing team at the tournament. The leading factors that contributed to the spread of COVID-19 among sports club members were the admission to games and training of athletes with acute respiratory infections, prolonged close contact between players during training and competitions, violations in the use of personal protective equipment, compliance with hygiene and hand antiseptics, disinfection measures in the premises of sports institutions and defects in the implementation of the regulations for the examination of teams for SARS-CoV-2 during tournaments. Conclusion. Based on the results of the study, data were obtained on the features of the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in sports organizations, which can be used in conducting preventive and anti-epidemic measures in sports and leisure institutions. © 2022, Numikom. All rights reserved.

The effect of 5 years of team sport on elderly males' health and social capital-An interdisciplinary follow-up study.

Background and Aims: Floorball training induces positive effects on health among untrained older adults. However, the effect of long-term participation (>2 years) in floorball training among elderly males has not been investigated. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of 5 years of floorball training on risk factors for lifestyle diseases, fitness, physical function, and social capital of elderly males and compare to a control group that continued their usual lifestyle. Methods: Twenty-nine recreationally active elderly men aged 75.1 ± 3.3 (mean ± SD; range: 69-81) years with a height, body mass, and body mass index of 1.78 ± 0.06 m, 79.8 ± 10.9 kg, and 25.8 ± 4.1 kg/m2, respectively, volunteered to take part in follow-up investigations about 5 years after participating in a study on the effect of 12 weeks of floorball or petanque training. At the end of the parental study 15 subjects chose to participate in floorball training (floorball group [FG]) whereas 14 subjects (control group [CG]), resumed their usual lifestyle. FG participated in small-sided floorball training 1 h ~1.75 times/week for 5 years in a local sports club. Results: From baseline to 5 years, FG had reduced fat percentage, android, and visceral fat, increased total and leg bone mineral density, leg extension maximal voluntary contraction, maximal walk distance in 6 min and 30 s sit-to-stand repetitions, decreased time for 5 sit-to-stand repetitions and Timed Up and Go (p < 0.05). These changes were all different from less favorable changes in CG (p < 0.05). In FG there was a decline in maximum oxygen uptake which was smaller than the decline in CG (p < 0.05). In addition, FG had developed social capital through the 5 years strengthening their social connectedness and group cohesion. Conclusion: In conclusion, both from a sociological and physiological perspective, small-sided floorball training can be considered a health-promoting activity for older men.

Ventilation and air cleaning to limit aerosol particle concentrations in a gym during the COVID-19 pandemic.

SARS-CoV-2 can spread by close contact through large droplet spray and indirect contact via contaminated objects. There is mounting evidence that it can also be transmitted by inhalation of infected saliva aerosol particles. These particles are generated when breathing, talking, laughing, coughing or sneezing. It can be assumed that aerosol particle concentrations should be kept low in order to minimize the potential risk of airborne virus transmission. This paper presents measurements of aerosol particle concentrations in a gym, where saliva aerosol production is pronounced. 35 test persons performed physical exercise and aerosol particle concentrations, CO2 concentrations, air temperature and relative humidity were obtained in the room of 886 m³. A separate test was used to discriminate between human endogenous and exogenous aerosol particles. Aerosol particle removal by mechanical ventilation and mobile air cleaning units was measured. The gym test showed that ventilation with air-change rate ACH = 2.2 h-1, i.e. 4.5 times the minimum of the Dutch Building Code, was insufficient to stop the significant aerosol concentration rise over 30 min. Air cleaning alone with ACH = 1.39 h-1 had a similar effect as ventilation alone. Simplified mathematical models were engaged to provide further insight into ventilation, air cleaning and deposition. It was shown that combining the above-mentioned ventilation and air cleaning can reduce aerosol particle concentrations with 80 to 90% , depending on aerosol size. This combination of existing ventilation supplemented with air cleaning is energy efficient and can also be applied for other indoor environments.

Can indoor sports centers be allowed to re-open during the COVID-19 pandemic based on a certificate of equivalence?

Within a time span of only a few months, the SARS-CoV-2 virus has managed to spread across the world. This virus can spread by close contact, which includes large droplet spray and inhalation of microscopic droplets, and by indirect contact via contaminated objects. While in most countries, supermarkets have remained open, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, authorities have ordered many other shops, restaurants, bars, music theaters and indoor sports centers to be closed. As part of COVID-19 (semi)lock-down exit strategies, many government authorities are now (May-June 2020) allowing a gradual re-opening, where sometimes indoor sport centers are last in line to be permitted to re-open. This technical note discusses the challenges in safely re-opening these facilities and the measures already suggested by others to partly tackle these challenges. It also elaborates three potential additional measures and based on these additional measures, it suggests the concept of a certificate of equivalence that could allow indoor sports centers with such a certificate to re-open safely and more rapidly. It also attempts to stimulate increased preparedness of indoor sports centers that should allow them to remain open safely during potential next waves of SARS-CoV-2 as well as future pandemics. It is concluded that fighting situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic and limiting economic damage requires increased collaboration and research by virologists, epidemiologists, microbiologists, aerosol scientists, building physicists, building services engineers and sports scientists.