Athletes as community; athletes in community: covid-19, sporting mega-events and athlete health protection

The current coronavirus (covid-19) pandemic presents an extraordinary public health challenge. The WHO defines a pandemic as the global spread of a new disease for which there is little or no pre-existing immunity in the human population. Worldwide, we have seen ambitious public health measures implemented by governments, non-governmental organisations and individuals alike. Yet, there is still more to be done to `flatten the curve` and mitigate the impact of this pandemic. Sporting `mega-events` are international, out of the ordinary and generally large in composition.1 These include the Olympic Games, which provide mass-spectacle for the public2 while producing significant health and socioeconomic impacts for host nation(s),3 including an increased risk for transmission of infectious diseases.4 Therefore, pandemics like covid-19 bring added urgency to examine the impacts of hosting sporting mega-events.
© Copyright 2020 British Journal of Sports Medicine. BMJ Publishing Group Ltd of the BMA. All rights reserved.

Bibliographic Details
Subjects:
Notations:management and organisation of sport biological and medical sciences organisations and events
Tagging:Coronavirus
Published in:British Journal of Sports Medicine
Language:English
Published: 2020
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2020-102433
Volume:54
Issue:18
Pages:1071-1072
Document types:article
Level:advanced