TY - JOUR T1 - Resuming professional football (soccer) during the COVID-19 pandemic in a country with high infection rates: a prospective cohort study JF - British Journal of Sports Medicine JO - Br J Sports Med DO - 10.1136/bjsports-2020-103724 SP - bjsports-2020-103724 AU - Yorck Olaf Schumacher AU - Montassar Tabben AU - Khalid Hassoun AU - Asmaa Al Marwani AU - Ibrahim Al Hussein AU - Peter Coyle AU - Ahmed Khellil Abbassi AU - Hani Taleb Ballan AU - Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari AU - Karim Chamari AU - Roald Bahr Y1 - 2021/02/13 UR - http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2021/02/14/bjsports-2020-103724.abstract N2 - Objectives The risk of viral transmission associated with contact sports such as football (soccer) during the COVID-19 pandemic is unknown. The aim of this study was to describe the infective and immune status of professional football players, team staff and league officials over a truncated football season resumed at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in a country with high infection rates and to investigate the clinical symptoms related to COVID-19 infection in professional football players.Methods Prospective cohort study of 1337 football players, staff and officials during a truncated football season (9 weeks) with a tailored infection control programme based on preventive measures and regular SARS-CoV-2 PCR swab testing (every 3–5 days) combined with serology testing for immunity (every 4 weeks). Clinical symptoms in positive participants were recorded using a 26-item, Likert-Scale-based scoring system.Results During the study period, 85 subjects returned positive (cycle threshold (cT) ≤30) or reactive (30<cT<40) PCR tests, of which 36 were players. The infection rate was consistent with that of the general population during the same time period. More than half of infected subjects were asymptomatic, and the remaining had only mild symptoms with no one requiring hospitalisation. Symptom severity was associated with lower cT values. Social contacts and family were the most common sources of infection, and no infection could be traced to training or matches. Of the 36 infected players, 15 presented positive serology during the study period.Conclusion Football played outdoors involving close contact between athletes represents a limited risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe illness when preventive measures are in place. ER -