Die aktuelle Coronavirus-Pandemie zählt bereits jetzt zu den größten weltumspannenden Krisen und stellt nicht nur für die Gesundheitssysteme sondern für die gesamte Gesellschaft eine extreme Herausforderung dar. Hinzu kommt, dass das mit einer Infektion mit SARS-CoV-2 verbundene Krankheitsbild bisher nur in Teilen erfasst und pathogenetisch verstanden ist, was insbesondere auch für mögliche Folgeschäden gilt. The current corona virus pandemic already counts among the greatest world-wide crises and is an extreme challenge not only for health systems but for society as a whole. Added to this is that fact that the pattern of disease associated with a SARS-CoV-2 infection has only been partly elucidated in its pathogenesis, which applies especially for possible late sequelae. It is known that serious-to-fatal disease courses can be expected primarily in persons with prior diseases and in the elderly. Athletes are not considered a risk group for a serious course of SARS-CoV-2 according to current knowledge. That does not, however, rule out that athletes may suffer infection with SARS-CoV-2, and there are examples in organized sports that a larger number of team members may be affected and that more serious courses are possible even in otherwise fit and initially healthy athletes. The degree to which contact situations in sports per se lead to a higher prevalence of SARS-CoV-2-infected persons is unclear, since no systematic data have been obtained thus far. Due to the scope of the CV-pandemic, it is of central importance that general preventive measures be heeded, including maintenance of social-distancing in the population and also in the specific situation of sports. A corresponding position paper has already been published. One important aspect is the fact that an infection with SARS-CoV-2 is known to be associated with severe acute and probably also chronic damage to health. This raises the question especially for affected competitive athletes of how reintegration in the sport can be accomplished with an acceptable risk after an infection. This also applies in light of the fact that it is presently not clear whether mild or even asymptomatic courses may be detrimental to athletic load tolerance and performance capacity. This position paper presents an initial guideline for procedures in the clarification of sports fitness and reintegration in competitive sports after recovery from a SARSCoV-2 infection. Given the lack of an adequate data base on this new disease and especially the lack of scientific knowledge on the sport-specific aspects of the disease, we understand this position paper as an initial expert consensus on the question of conception of the safest possible return of the athlete to competitive sports after an infection with SARS-CoV-2.
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