Public Health and Sports
Dan O’Brien, MD via phone, Zoom or Skype from St. Louis
Intro: Will sports ever return to where they were in their pre-Coronavirus heyday?
Is there a reasonable public health plan in place to bringing back sports, along with safety for participants, safety for spectators, and some sort of economic recovery on professional sports franchises?
Joining us in this discussion is Dr. Dan MD.
Q&A:
Dr. Dan question: What are your thoughts regarding the plan to bring back sporting events?
Dr. Dan answer: As a huge sports fan the COVID-19 pandemic has certainly disrupted sports in an unprecedented way. I want to see sports arenas packed like everybody else, but from a public health standpoint, professional athletics are getting the COVID-19 virus like everybody else. We have seen social distancing beginning to work, so it’s difficult when we look at various contact sports because it’s so difficult to practice social distancing. Every event could be a high-risk transmission event so it’s important to continue to monitor this. So we have to be mindful of when is the appropriate time to bring back athletes and the fans. According to a study, 72% of Americans said they would not feel safe attending live games until a vaccine is developed. The participants are eager to get back, fans are eager to watch their sports team play, but we need to make individuals are staying safe.
Dr. Dan question: What safety measures can be in place for participants and spectators?
Dr. Dan answer: Even though you can be a top player for your team, it’s still quite possible you can contract COVID-19. It’s so crucial for athletes of all major sports teams and Olympic athletes to be honest with themselves if they are showing any symptoms, especially since athletes could end up with significant scarring in their lungs if infected by COVID-19 as this could impact their athletic performance later. Safety measures could be changing your workout routing for these high performing athletes and looking at doing technique specific workouts rather than intense cardio workouts. Also, it’s important for athletic performers to interact with their team physicians if they are experiencing any symptoms, and potentially communicate with other medical staff “virtually.” Once spectators start going to games, they might need to show an immunity card, and this practice might be good for the participants to do as well. This might create unfair lineups because of this but it may be the only option at first that teams have.
Dr. Dan question: What can athletes of all ages do to stay safe during this time?
Dr. Dan answer? Maintain virtual communication with your coaching and team doctors, stay well informed, identify ways to boost your immune system, identify online exercise platforms that are being offered, monitor your emotional and mental health, establish a daily routing, and use this time to revisit your athletic goals and how you’re going to achieve those. Research has shown that mental health and performance are related so it’s important to keep your spirits high.
Dr. Dan question- Don’t professional athletes have stronger immune systems since they are in excellent shape, could they still really become infected with COVID-19?
Dr. Dan answer: Yes, athletes and professional events (like we have seen with Kevin Durant star basketball player) still can be infected with COVID-19 and even though athletes who are young and fit appear to recover more from COVID-19 infections there is still danger. We saw that in 1918 with the Spanish Flu as 50 million people died and a great deal of those individuals had health immune systems, but what had happened is that health immune system overreacts to an infection it can cause more harm than good.
Dr. Dan question: What diagnostic testing could athletes do to keep themselves safe?
Dr. Dan answer: Athletes who have COVID-19 antibodies playing against other athletes with those antibodies would present zero risk. This would limit rosters, but at least games could still be played, but teams may have a disadvantage if none of their star players would be able to play.
Dr. Dan question: Do you find the risks outweigh the benefits to resume playing sports in the upcoming months?
Dr. Dan answer: There is always going to be a risk until more vaccines and treatments options come out, and that still may take 12-18 months. Social distancing is working in our country as we are beginning to see a flattening of the curve. We are continuing to learn so much from the data and this data will be important when it comes to looking at transmission of the virus at sporting events. One possible solution is to just play in front of the TV cameras so fans can cheer on their favorite team which could bring a great deal of joy to the sport.
Dr. Dan question: The cost of attending professional games can be expensive, will the down economy have an impact on this?
Dr. Dan answer: Yes, the economy is taking a hit on this, and it might be difficult for a family of four to afford attending a professional sporting game so the leagues are going to have to look in to deals or price cuts as owners rebound from this COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Dan question: IF you had a crystal ball Dr. Dan when would you predict we will see sports team playing again?
Dr. Dan answer: I am hopeful for June, and scientists are making a great deal of progress on advances to help this situation. This COVID-19 pandemic has all taught us to have a greater appreciation not only for each other, but I think the sports world will benefit as well. This sacrifice we are all doing including professional sports franchises will pay off in the long run.
Dr Dan question: Where may we get more information on you and articles you have written on COVID-19?
Dr. Dan answer: At DrDanMd.com
About Dr. Dan O’Brien:
Dr. Dan is a medical expert for ‘the here and now’ but he’s also a medical Futurist, with specialized knowledge in telemedicine, digital health, robotic technology, gene editing, augmented reality, software technology and A.I.
A physician and professor with a passion for innovative healthcare technologies and public health, Dr. Dan is a popular medical expert with appearances on national Talk Shows including on Fox Television.
Dr. Dan understands the need to improve quality of care, cost, and access in healthcare. As a Chief Medical Officer for multiple healthcare startups and an award-winning scientific and academic leader, Dr. Dan brings substantial experience in public health and healthcare management.
An award-winning scientific and academic leader, Dr. Dan has worked with several biotech and pharmaceutical companies on increasing awareness, education, and research in many diagnostic and therapeutic fields, including in the biotechnology industry.
Not only is Dr. Dan is a medical expert for the here and now, but he’s also a medical Futurist, with specialized knowledge in nanobots, remote surgery and medical apps with algorithms that can be used in early detection as well as using AI to project the likely spread of disease.
Dr. Dan has an extensive physician network including relationships with key opinion leaders around the world. He has completed his clinical rotations at Emory University in Atlanta, GA and also has completed a certificate of participation from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He has an MBA in healthcare management, and a B.A from the University of Notre Dame.
