The Australian Institute of Sport Framework for Rebooting Sport in a COVID-19 Environment
David Hughes, Richard Saw, Nirmala Kanthi Panagodage Perera, Mathew Mooney, Alice Wallett, Jennifer Cooke, Nick Coatsworth, Carolyn Broderick. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. Available online 6 May 2020
The Australian Institute of Sport, in consultation with sport partners, has developed a framework to inform the resumption of sport. The framework is based on current best evidence and guidelines from the Australian federal government. The framework “is a timely tool of minimum baseline of standards, for ‘how’ reintroduction of sport activity will occur in a cautious and methodical manner, based on the best available evidence to optimise athlete and community safety. Decisions regarding the timing of resumption (the ‘when’) of sporting activity must be made in close consultation with Federal, State/Territory and Local Public Health Authorities. The priority at all times must be to preserve public health, minimising the risk of community transmission.” The document covers transmission, pathophysiology, prevention, testing, management, pandemic impacts on sport, and the framework.
I think it is extremely important to emphasize the need for a graded return to play for athletes returning after isolation as their risk for injury is increased. I was also curious as to what all is being included in the risk assessments for sporting environments before activities can resume?
I think this article provides very important information in regards to sports medicine considering the state of the world to this day. Providing guidelines for athletics to start back up, as well as ways to educate personnel is something the entire world must take into consideration. This article provides a minimum baseline of standards for reintroducing sports into society, however I think emphasis should be placed on the fact that these guidelines are the baseline; more safety measures should be added on a case to case basis when it comes to other countries evaluating their current situation. I agree that the priority should be preserving public health and minimizing risk of further transmission. The use of resuming activity by level is a way of not only ensuring the health of others by reducing risk of transmission, but by also reducing risk of potential injury due to being out of said sport for a great amount of time. I believe that this article can be utilized as a tool for other countries when returning to athletics.