Resuming professional football (soccer) during the COVID-19 pandemic in a country with high infection rates: a prospective cohort study

Schumacher, Yorck Olaf; Tabben, Montassar; Hassoun, Khalid; Al Marwani, Asmaa; Al Hussein, Ibrahim; Coyle, Peter; Abbassi, Ahmed Khellil; Ballan, Hani Taleb; Al-Kuwari, Abdulaziz; Chamari, Karim; Bahr, Roald

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