AHN doctor hopeful for ‘successful’ winter sports season
Courtesy of Metro Creative
Pennsylvania’s winter sports season was put on hold last week when Gov. Tom Wolf ordered a shutdown in response to the surging coronavirus pandemic.
Dr. Matthew Flanagan
Winter sports seasons across Western Pennsylvania were put on hold last week when Gov. Tom Wolf, in response to the growing coronavirus pandemic, ordered a shutdown of high school sports in Pennsylvania.
Beginning Dec. 12, and running through at least Jan. 4, school districts in the state were prohibited from hosting games, practices and open gyms. School district officials were left with no idea when, or if, the season will resume.
Over the past nine months of the COVID-19 pandemic, sports were stalled and then made a comeback. The NBA managed to play in a protected “bubble” atmosphere and the NHL opted for a similar strategy. The NFL has had several games postponed because of positive COVID-19 tests or exposures to the virus. At the high school and college levels, games and practices were postponed and canceled because of the pandemic.
Football and fall sports are pretty much played outdoors, which somewhat limits the possible spread of the virus compared to being indoors. If winter sports are able begin again, how do teams and athletes expect to manage the situation and can winter sports be played safely at all?
The governing bodies of various sports leagues are debating the issue with no clear answers.
Dr. Matt Flanagan is a Primary Care Sports Medicine physician with Allegheny Health Network and sees patients at Canonsburg Hospital and at his practice in Washington.
Flanagan is also the team physician for Trinity Area School District and has worked with the AHN team to develop COVID-19 protocols to safeguard the health and safety of high school teams across Western Pennsylvania both on and off the court.
With cases now skyrocketing, Flanagan provided some insight as to what teams are doing to help mitigate the spread of the virus.
“Our sports medicine physicians sit on the board of the Sports Medicine Advisory Committee for the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association,” Flanagan said. “By serving in that capacity, we had a direct role in establishing protocols in relation to COVID for the fall sports season.”
Those protocols were based on the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Pennsylvania Department of Health and Human Services and the state’s and local governing bodies. That information was then passed on to the schools as well as their administration, coaching staff, athletic trainers and players.
Despite some issues, Flanagan said the fall sports season overall was successful given the circumstances.
“We found that outside activities had low risk for COVID transmission as long as everyone adhered to the standards issued by the governor, the Department of Health and our state and local governing bodies,” Flanagan said. “At Trinity, our coaching staff, athletic trainers and medical personnel wore masks or face coverings at all times when in contact with the athletes.”
Flanagan said teams practiced social distancing as much as possible in addition to proper hand hygiene.
“Athletes kept individual water bottles and used their own personal gear. Sharing of equipment was discouraged and it was cleaned after each individual use,” he said. “Additionally, screening athletes for signs of infection and not allowing potentially infected individuals to participate also helped to mitigate risk of spread.”
So how do teams and leagues handle the challenge of moving sports indoors?
“The situation evolves rapidly as we evaluate the spread of the virus and the latest recommendations from our health organizations,” Flanagan said. “Although there may be some increased trepidation, we are hopeful that the winter sports season can be successful as long as our athletes continue to follow the latest guidelines. It is important to adhere to the regulations at all times – not just during a game.”
Flanagan said students must be cautious at practice, in the locker rooms and during team meetings.
“It will take a constant, conscious effort to ensure everyone’s safety and increase the chances for a successful winter season,” he said.
What are some of the protocols team physicians are suggesting?
Mask wearing and social distancing are at the top of the list including when athletes are not actively participating and when on the bench or sidelines. Athletes should also avoid sharing gear and water.
“All equipment should be cleaned after individual use,” Flanagan said. “The athletes should avoid celebratory handshakes, high fives and hugs.”
Proper hand hygiene is crucial including having hand sanitizer readily available.
“Coaches, staff and athletic trainers should wear masks at all times when they are around their teams,” Flanagan said. “The athletes also need to be personally responsible for their own safety on and off the field/court and realize that their actions could potentially affect the entire team.”
As for whether athletes can wear masks and actively play sports safely, Flanagan said there’s no real research on the issue.
“There may be articles with expert opinions that support both sides of the discussion,” he said. “However, I am not currently aware of any studies with high-level evidence to validate or refute the concept of wearing masks during competition.”
Overall, Flanagan said he is still hopeful teams can play safely this winter if everyone follows the rules.
“If everyone does their part to take COVID seriously and protect themselves by following the latest guidelines and protocols,” he said, “then I am hopeful we can have a successful winter sports season like we did in the fall.”