key: cord-0876511-yl4qc5dh
authors: Vancini, Rodrigo L.; Andrade, Marília S.; Nikolaidis, Pantelis T.; Knechtle, Beat; Rosemann, Thomas; Viana, Ricardo B.; de Lira, Claudio A.B.
title: COVID-19: It's still time for health professionals, physical activity enthusiasts and sportive leagues not to let guard down
date: 2021-02-10
journal: Sports medicine and health science
DOI: 10.1016/j.smhs.2021.01.002
sha: dd5aaa2f0101c930dc4b9af5ddbe338ac0349c81
doc_id: 876511
cord_uid: yl4qc5dh

Emerging viral diseases represent a serious issue to public and global healthcare systems and have a high potential for disease dissemination in sport/physical activity and exercise facilities. The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has frightened the sports and physical activity community and enthusiasts for potential transmission, dissemination, and lethality in vulnerable populations; those with chronic diseases, co-morbidities, the elderly people, and in young and healthy people. This pandemic has caused a chain reaction with cancellation of sports competitions and gymnasiums closing around the world. Currently, some sporting events are gradually resuming in certain regions of the world and also the return of competitions and training. In general, without fans and public, the sports media can only report the infection of athletes and coaching staff members. However, this situation is dynamic - the world is currently experiencing the second wave of the disease; with the safety and containment measures for the disease is changing daily. The purpose of this article is to present information concerning the COVID-19 pandemic, to clarify health issues for professionals and people connected to sport and physical activity venues, presenting information to assist in education and health promotion and prevention. The time is now for making changes, reviewing the actions and conducts necessary for prevention, and most important not letting our guard down, even as vaccines become available for all people in the world. Remembering that even after getting vaccinated, it is necessary to continue with safety measures such as, for example, the use of facial masks and social distance and hygiene, that is, washing your hands frequently and/or sanitizing with 70% alcohol. We can't let our guard down for COVID-19.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) 1 , viral diseases continue to 71 emerge and represent a serious issue to public and global healthcare systems with the 72 high potential to cause epidemics (regional) and consequently pandemics (world). 1,2 73 Viral infections have a high potential for dissemination in sport, physical activity, and 74 exercise facilities (gymnasiums, arenas, and gyms) and events (athlete meetings, 75 tournaments, championships, sportive leagues, and competitions). have been infected by the disease have been widely reported, but also spectators and 89 recreational practitioners of physical activity an sport and participants of sporting 90 events in their community. 4, 5 Supposedly, the COVID-19 epidemic started in China (Wuhan City -in 92

December 2019) and spread throughout the world 1,2 by land, air, and sea transportation 93 including sports and physical activity scenarios. Aggressive social isolation in China 94 and other countries like Singapore has led to a progressive reduction in the number of 95 cases. 2 Gradually, China and other countries are resuming economic and social 96 activities but the second wave it's in progress now and the alert level has increased 97 again around the world. 98

The purpose of this commentary article is to present information, about the 99 pandemic caused by COVID-19, to clarify health issues for professionals and people 100 connected to sport and physical activity participation, and to develop and present 101 information to assist in education and health promotion and prevention. At a time 102

where chaos exists with the constant and daily increase of infected and killed by the 103 disease; currently (1/28/2021), there are 99,864,391 confirmed cases in the world and 104 2,149,700 deaths from the disease; and human, social, and economic catastrophe 105 awaits, unfortunately much speculation still exists regarding the causes and medical 106 management, despite growing scientific research about COVID-19. The facts associated 107 with the disease transmission and spread are changing daily. Therefore, the time is 108 now to review plans of action and make changes to better impact prevention before, 109 during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic, improve health literacy and education for 110 all individuals involved in sport and physical activity and general population, to 111 reduce disease risk infection and death and better face these dire health conditions. 112

The disease features vs. World of sport 114 COVID-19 is characterized by respiratory illness resulting from severe acute 115 respiratory syndrome 6 . Although no definitive understanding for the origin of this 116 disease exists, one hypothesis is that the coronavirus was transmitted to humans 117 through direct contact with animals such as camels, cattle, and cats. 2 Another 118 hypothesis is this disease originated from bats and then moved into other mammalian 119

hosts. The first cases of the COVID-19 disease were linked to direct exposure to the 120 Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market of Wuhan (animal-to-human transmission) was 121 presumed as the main first focus. Therefore, scientists concluded that COVID-19 is 122 transmitted from human-to-human, and symptomatic people are the most frequent YouTube and exercise APPS on your mobile phone will come in handy here. It's important to 156 maintain a healthy lifestyle with regular exercise-it will benefit your immune system". 9 157 COVID-19 pandemic has caused, since its discovery and spread around the 158 world, fear and a feeling of uncertainty among all (health professionals, public 159 recreational managers, sport staffs, civil society, businessmen, media, athletes, 160 practitioners, and others). A "pandemic in our time" just happened at other periods of 161 the human history. The problem is that the transmission potential is increasing because 162 of world globalization, the fall of barriers and borders that separate people around the 163 world, and the popularity of global travel or even the great popularity among fans of 164 sports such as soccer. 1,4,5 165

In the year 2020, the situation has become serious enough that major leagues locations. 12 A primary concern is statements and initial pronouncement such as that of 184 the UFC president, "fights 'will go on' despite coronavirus". 12,14 However, "it is time", as 185 "Bruce Buffer says", not to let your guard down and to not shirk responsibility. 14 The 186 pressure and of public and sporting directors and managers increases even more with 187 the second ongoing wave of the disease. 1,2 188

In this context, still today, a divergent of opinion exists whether or not to Most important are the recommendations from the WHO and CDC 1,6 because 300 these safety, sanitary, and hygienic measures make a difference in the outcome of 301 pandemic scenarios, with or without mass vaccination, as we still have to know the 302 dynamics and facets of COVID-19, which has proved to be a treacherous and in many 303 cases lethal condition. It is necessary to protect and sanitize all the time. 304 Table 1 below shows a summary of the compilation of information from WHO 305 and CDC, entities active in the field of public health and health promotion and 306 education. 307

Insert Table 1 near here 308

With the process of social, economic, and technological globalization in the last 310 half-century diseases have also gone global. 19 Thus, local and global healthcare systems 311 as a whole need strengthening. Access to better health and treatment services needs to for safety exists and now is time not to let our guard down. Rather we must follow the 326 public health guidelines before, during, and after pandemics. In our view, these 327

preventative measures apply to all people involved in the practice of sport and 328 physical activity, whether they are practitioners, professionals, spectators, media, 329 entrepreneurs, and association, federation, and league officials. It is probably best to 330 take all this hard learning and measures from now on and for a long time not to say 331 forever. 332

Despite the fact that it is not completely safe to attend physical and sports 333 practice environments -even with the implementation of safety and hygiene measures, 334

as it is extremely difficult to control all variables, sometimes random, that can lead to 335 infection by COVID-19, our research group showed in a relevant sample that those 336 people who reported higher levels of physical activity also reported fewer symptoms 337 of the disease, in the course of the pandemic 20 , as well as better mental health which is 338 impacted by the person's country of origin. We could see this in the Brazil vs. World society as a whole still needs to take more seriously all of this situation 344 and to start moving towards a post-COVID-19 world. This undertaking will include 345 the sport and physical activity community. We will emerge from this pandemic being 346 different people, having developed new health behaviors. The fact is that "humanity is 347 still on the ropes", as in a boxing match being hit and trying to stay upright but 348 suffering extreme and perhaps irreparable psychological and physical damage. Finally, 349

we must not let down our guard and must change in ways to benefit society as a 350 J o u r n a l P r e -p r o o f

☒ The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

☐The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests:

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