Coronavirus and Football (Plus all Sport in General)

[Shaggy]

I hope this isn't a sign of things to come

[ame]https://twitter.com/Ollie_Bayliss/status/1242476451288383488[/ame]

[BigChief]

Someone tell me I'm being madly over optimistic but are things really that bad in the mid to long term? Been trying to convince another site that we should be back to normal sooner than later. Here's my analysis:

1. We are not isolating to avoid catching covid, but to help medical services. The end game is we're supposed to get covid. The danger is some that catch it may die, just like with any other virus or disease. So we need medication in place in case some of us get to that stage... which leads me to:

2. WHO are conducting project Solidarity where four known treatments that actually work on covid and are safe in humans are being tested on a larger sample size for covid. Ten countries have already started. How long will this take and how much will demand (Trump, BoJo) dictate a widespread release of the findings? Weeks? Months? Since these treatments have gone through years of testing already it can already tick the "safe for humans" box.

3. For football to start we don't need to stop every time a player or his family is then diagnosed as positive for covid. With treatment being available people can go on being infected safely (ish) which was always the end game remember (point 1). Covid seriousness will be downgraded to flu status, I.e. normal behaviour can resume.

So how long is the question? I'm hoping the solidarity project plus global readiness of the chosen medication will take approx. 10 weeks. This is non medical guesswork and pure hope. Which takes us to beginning of June when the fear can subside and normal life resumes.

[dom9]

June? No chance.

I'm hearing that councils are planning on revoking licences for any large events until the end of summer.

Should games take place behind closed doors? I don't think so. Footballers shouldn't be attending a workplace anymore than anyone else who isn't a critical worker.

And frankly, I don't actually care about sport right now.

[spud_gun]

I hope this isn't a sign of things to come

https://twitter.com/Ollie_Bayliss/st...76451288383488

They've got more of a chance of completing this season than completing next.

There's no way we're getting a full August - May of football this year and next without a couple of flare-ups of Corona and subsequent postponements.

There's no wiggle room next season. Everything that can be cancelled this summer already has.

The league can't afford to write off two seasons as a result of this. One possibly but two? No chance.

Why grasp at something they don't have (next season) when they can ensure that this season is completed....at some point this year.

[Buzzo]

I hope this isn't a sign of things to come

https://twitter.com/Ollie_Bayliss/st...76451288383488

I think junior level sport is easier to just sack it off than to rework it all. Plus there is relatively much less on the line (sponsorship/contracts etc).

They have done the same in Rugby, and there is no chat of binning the remainder of the season.

I agree though, Od imagine the best case scenario would be a June July start to all of this at best.

[Red_Polo]

Someone tell me I'm being madly over optimistic but are things really that bad in the mid to long term? Been trying to convince another site that we should be back to normal sooner than later. Here's my analysis:

1. We are not isolating to avoid catching covid, but to help medical services. The end game is we're supposed to get covid. The danger is some that catch it may die, just like with any other virus or disease. So we need medication in place in case some of us get to that stage... which leads me to:

2. WHO are conducting project Solidarity where four known treatments that actually work on covid and are safe in humans are being tested on a larger sample size for covid. Ten countries have already started. How long will this take and how much will demand (Trump, BoJo) dictate a widespread release of the findings? Weeks? Months? Since these treatments have gone through years of testing already it can already tick the "safe for humans" box.

3. For football to start we don't need to stop every time a player or his family is then diagnosed as positive for covid. With treatment being available people can go on being infected safely (ish) which was always the end game remember (point 1). Covid seriousness will be downgraded to flu status, I.e. normal behaviour can resume.

So how long is the question? I'm hoping the solidarity project plus global readiness of the chosen medication will take approx. 10 weeks. This is non medical guesswork and pure hope. Which takes us to beginning of June when the fear can subside and normal life resumes.

Sorry to be a damp squib but this is largely delusory...

There's no good evidence of efficacy of any of these drugs (or combinations thereof) yet, which is exactly why they require multicentre randomised controlled trials using the same methodology. The fact they are safe when used in other settings does NOT mean they are safe for those with Covid-19, they could increase mortality, we don't know. Hence the need for the trials. There were plenty of trials on similar (in some case the same) drugs for Ebola, how did that pan out? If a drug DOES work and improves mortality of severe cases by 5% does that actually change the measures we need to take as a society? I don't see that it does.

It's not impossible football is back in some form late summer, but we almost certainly won't be 'back to normal' thanks to wonder drugs.

[Shaggy]

I think junior level sport is easier to just sack it off than to rework it all. Plus there is relatively much less on the line (sponsorship/contracts etc).

They have done the same in Rugby, and there is no chat of binning the remainder of the season.

I agree though, Od imagine the best case scenario would be a June July start to all of this at best.

Aye but it says it's expected this will soon extend across all non-league football including the Conference / National League.

[S-RED]

it wont happen at top level no way at all

[labourRed]

it wont happen at top level no way at all

Yeah. Too much money at play.

They've no chance of playing football before September. And even then.

So makes sense to me to pick it up around January with a pre season. And finish the top leagues then.

[S-RED]

Yeah. Too much money at play.

They've no chance of playing football before September. And even then.

So makes sense to me to pick it up around January with a pre season. And finish the top leagues then.

Agree, we will start to finish the season late august, Sept;so end by 31st Oct; then have a 4 week break & then restart IMO.

Too much £$£$£$£$£$£$£$ to void it

[Kenneth]

Oh god, I hope it’s not that long. Shaggy needs to go back to tweeting about football, the music stuff is driving me mad.

[Liverpool]

Sander Westerveld played for Everton

[Kenneth]

Is that some kind of sleeper cell trigger phrase?

[Saveloy]

Is that some kind of sleeper cell trigger phrase?

[Saveloy]

Sander Westerveld played for Everton

Understood.

Jim Beglin will travel by foot if the weather is clement.