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How long before Coronavirus impacts Football?

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Big Cat

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Just putting it out there because I think it's quite likely to begin affecting all of us to one extent or another
 
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It’s the first thing that’s come out of China that’s lasted longer than a month isn’t it? 🤔
 
Imminently on the international front. Congregations of large people will be avoided in affected areas and countries will probably act in some way to limit being affected in the first place.

Did I hear right that it has jeopardised the 6 nations Italy vs Ireland? It already stopped a Man U player going out to Spain for their training as he had been to China.

Anyone here remember what happened during swine flu / SARS?
 
A few games in Serie A are being played behind closed doors, including Juventus vs Inter, which is a massive game
 
I think for organised sport i.e. professional and semi professional they will start postponing games or playing them behind closed doors, especially if there is a sharp rise in the number of infected people in the UK (like happened over the last week in Italy).

It would it take 1 person at a match to potentially infect 10s of people, more if you factor in public transport to and from the game etc.

At grass roots it would be harder to implement, so I wonder whether leagues would just either have to postpone all games indefinitely, or just bin the remainder of the season.
 
It would it take 1 person at a match to potentially infect 10s of people

Supposedly already happened. Valencia vs Atalanta. Four fans put in isolation, but if they test positive then the damage is already done as you can go ten or so days without displaying any symptoms and that match was only 7 days ago.

(Assuming I'm correct on the numbers there)
 
Supposedly already happened. Valencia vs Atalanta. Four fans put in isolation, but if they test positive then the damage is already done as you can go ten or so days without displaying any symptoms and that match was only 7 days ago.

(Assuming I'm correct on the numbers there)

I'd not heard about that.

I did read an article where one prediction was that upto 80% of the UK could end up getting coronavirus.

Another article suggested it would just end up becoming another strain of seasonal flu
 
It is obviously bad, but there does need to be some context in it. It isn't like Ebola with a very high mortality rate, and whilst it is spreading faster than SARS the mortality rate for that was 9.6% so much higher. Seemingly studies of those infected have shown that 81% of those infected only suffer mild symptoms, and only 5% become critically ill. I think some of the press are being a bit irresponsible in making it sound worse than it actually is.

But to answer the question, if there is an outbreak in the UK then I am sure they will start cancelling public events and that will include football games. I think the big hope is that we can ride it out until the weather gets milder and that makes it harder to spread.
 
Lots of scaremongering going on. Cancel congregations of thousands of people, yes. Cancel low tier semi-pro and Saturday/Sunday league? I doubt it.
 
I don't think people are very good at understanding risk
Unless, you're old or unwell, this Corona thing isn't that risky to each individual (comparatively speaking). However, it does seem to be adept at spreading. So whilst you or I may not be acutely threatened by this illness, the effort to stem the spread is rapidly escalating because it's becoming a risk to the health of the population as a whole. Not sure what to make of the crazy precautions imposed in the UK already. Give it another week... and who knows whether the hysteria will have blown over or morphed into something much bigger
 
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The risk is that it can quite easily be fatal if passed on to the very old, very young or people who another under lying medical condition.

It can lead to pneumonia and kidney failure, rather than just a bit of a bad cold.

While the media certainly aren't helping matters, I would t class what is going on in this country as hysteria or scaremongering.

They need to stop it spreading, and currently as there is no cure or vaccination the only way to do this is through isolation and/or quarantine.
 
The mortality rate is just slightly above influenza ~2-3% and appears to mostly be hazardous to those already vulnerable - the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions.

In comparison, SARS and H5N1 (bird flu) were more fatal but spread slowly. I think what is concerning people is the rapid spread and that it can be transmitted before you develop symptoms. Even if you are healthy and it poses little danger to you, you would typically spread it to 10+ other people who may be in greater danger.

For a LONG time world authorities have stated that the biggest risk to human life is a globally transmitted disease. Whilst the media have a difficult job at getting the tone right I remember more hysteria when swine flu etc were about.
 
The Euros are less than 4 months away.
Large numbers of people from all over the continent gathering together is probably the last thing governments will condone.
Question is, what would UEFA do? Postpone? Cancel? Play the tournament in empty stadiums? :wtf:
 
Switzerland has just banned gatherings of over 1000 people. My guess is that government responses will massively accelerate in the next few days.

It's pretty logical to presume that the Swiss decision will get followed by the other mainland European countries.

So, I don't think it's scaremongering to guess that March 7-8 matches across Europe could be behind closed doors... could be even sooner though.. if there are a few hundred more cases over the next few days in the UK then maybe Chelsea-Liverpool could be the first...
 
Had a cup match tomorrow which cant be played on the home teams pitch due to the rain. Fixture reversed to away teams 3G pitch - which has now been closed due to a corona virus scare 😬
 
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