Key result
Resuming competitive football under strict protocols demonstrates a low ~0.5% SARS-CoV-2 incidence rate.
Why the study?
The safety and consequences of resuming elite football during the COVID-19 pandemic under a strict protocol were not well described.
Does resumption of competitive play with a strict testing protocol prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmission in elite football players?
Observational (n=748)
Yes
Does resumption of competitive play with a strict testing protocol prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmission in elite football players?
A controlled reopening of professional football strictly following a detailed protocol appears safe with a low incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Supports protocol-driven resumption of elite football; leaves open generalizability to other sports or populations.
As the SARS-CoV-2 infection rate decreased in spring 2020, phased reopening of Danish society began, including a reopening of elite football (soccer), adhering to a strict protocol. In this study, we report the consequences of resumption of competitive play in the two best football (soccer) leagues for men in Denmark measured by number of SARS-CoV-2 positive players. The players were tested weekly for SARS-CoV-2 for 11 consecutive weeks. The test protocol comprised 26 teams with 748 players. In total, 6511 tests were done with a positivity rate of 0.06%. The incidence rate of players testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 was 0.53% (4/748). There were no signs of a chain of infection. We found a low incidence rate of SARS-CoV-2, and based on this, a controlled reopening of professional football strictly following a detailed protocol appears safe for the players.
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Pedersen et al. (2021) conducted an observational in COVID-19 (n=748). Resumption of competitive play under a strict protocol was evaluated on Incidence of SARS-CoV-2 positive players. Resumption of competitive men's football under a strict protocol resulted in a low SARS-CoV-2 incidence rate of 0.53% (4/748 players) over 11 weeks.
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