COVID-19 disease in professional football players: symptoms and impact on pulmonary function and metabolic power during matches.

This study aimed at: (1) Reporting COVID-19 symptoms and duration in professional football players; (2) comparing players' pulmonary function before and after COVID-19; (3) comparing players' metabolic power (Pmet ) before and after COVID-19. Thirteen male players (Age: 23.9 ± 4.0 years, V̇O2peak : 49.7 ± 4.0 mL/kg/min) underwent a medical screening and performed a running incremental step test and a spirometry test after COVID-19. Spirometric data were compared with the ones collected at the beginning of the same season. Players' mean Pmet of the 10 matches played before COVID-19 was compared with mean Pmet of the 10 matches played after COVID-19. Players completed a questionnaire on COVID-19 symptoms and duration 6 months following the disease. COVID-19 positivity lasted on average 15 ± 5 days. "General fatigue" and "muscle fatigue" symptoms were reported by all players during COVID-19 and persisted for 77% (general fatigue) and 54% (muscle fatigue) of the players for 37 ± 28 and 38 ± 29 days after the disease, respectively. No significant changes in spirometric measurements were found after COVID-19, even though some impairments at the individual level were observed. Conversely, a linear mixed-effects model analysis showed a significant reduction of Pmet (-4.1 ± 3.5%) following COVID-19 (t = -2.686, p < 0.05). "General fatigue" and "muscle fatigue" symptoms may persist for several weeks following COVID-19 in professional football players and should be considered for a safer return to sport. Players' capacity to compete at high intensities might be compromised after COVID-19.

Successful management plan of COVID-19 in a pediatric hemato-oncology department: a single-centre experience.

COVID-19 pandemic raised concern about management of patients with paediatric cancer. We present the operating system that the Hemato-Oncology Department of the Santobono-Pausilipon Hospital applied. We divided our department in three zones: surveillance and screening; quarantine and COVID free, in order to screen admitted patients and to reduce the risk of cross infection. From 3 April until 29 May 2020 (56 days), 662 patients and caregivers underwent rapid serological tests for a total of 1397 assays. No patient or parent with SARS-CoV2 infection was found, demonstrating the effectiveness of COVID-19 screening process.