Coronavirus: Football Discussion Thread

[creditunionhero]

It's played outside.

This is what should bother you. Not footballers. From the BBC Live news feed:

It was fairly quiet early this morning, but it is now getting busier. I have seen some buses are arriving full to capacity with every seat taken, so it is obviously impossible for people to observe social distancing guidelines.

On the Tube platform, there were tannoy announcements reminding people to stand two metres apart, and most were able to. But inside the train carriages might be a different story.

I agree we should not be bothering about footballers and if they just void the season we won't have to. Why are we thinking about starting football when we cannot protect busses and the tube etc.

 

[purplenose]

Until there is solid knowledge of exactly how much and what level of immunity and most importantly how long it lasts from catching Covid then I cannot understand why anyone with more than a single brain cell would even discuss herd immunity.

At this moment of time herd immunity remains potentially the stupidest and most deadly brain wave the human race has conjured up. The fact that Witty and Vallance were openly considering this at the beginning of this pandemic has left me with no faith whatsoever in the British medical and scientific people who are advising the government. Whatever next "maybe if we exploded a nuclear bomb above covid areas the radiation might kill the virus"....no shit Sherlock!

 

[M12Blue]

Until there is solid knowledge of exactly how much and what level of immunity and most importantly how long it lasts from catching Covid then I cannot understand why anyone with more than a single brain cell would even discuss herd immunity.

At this moment of time herd immunity remains potentially the stupidest and most deadly brain wave the human race has conjured up. The fact that Witty and Vallance were openly considering this at the beginning of this pandemic has left me with no faith whatsoever in the British medical and scientific people who are advising the government. Whatever next "maybe if we exploded a nuclear bomb above covid areas the radiation might kill the virus"....no shit Sherlock!

What you say is all incorrect, medical fact I’m afraid

 

[purplenose]

What you say is all incorrect, medical fact I’m afraid

If I am incorrect and that we do know that having covid gives you immunity and we know that for certain it protects you from further infection then I am delighted to be wrong. Thrilled and far more optimistic for the future. If you would kindly put up a link to confirm this I would me most grateful. I will in turn send it to the WHO as I expect they will share my delight.

 

[AlexWilliamsGloves]

How long do you think it will be before this blanket criteria can be satisfied? So far, every country that has attempted to re-open - South Korea, China Germany, is seeing a spike in cases. Testing is nowhere near 100% full proof. What antibody tests have been conducted have shown nowhere near herd immunity, no vaccine in sight. We are probably talking 2 years before we are "sure everyone is safe and well". So yes let's resume this season in May 2022. Great idea.

So restarting before we know its safe IS a good idea?

 

[M12Blue]

If I am incorrect and that we do know that having covid gives you immunity and we know that for certain it protects you from further infection then I am delighted to be wrong. Thrilled and far more optimistic for the future. If you would kindly put up a link to confirm this I would me most grateful. I will in turn send it to the WHO as I expect they will share my delight.[/QUOTE

Population immunity of around 70% required.
Covid is same type of virus as influenza, what I mean is that it’s constantly mutating. So you can get flu again, despite already having it. That’s because it’s different seasonal flu and covid will eventually be the same in time, and when a vaccine ultimately comes it will be for those at risk just like the current flu jab.
The reason seasonal flu doesn’t shut down the country every year is because of background immunity and targeted immunisations. Lockdown is not because the corona is more dangerous than flu, but because it’s new, contagious and therefore many people will get it all at once and swamp the healthcare services.
You are right not all the answers are confirmed but we’ve had plenty of similar viruses around to base the medical assumptions. I’ll stick to listening to those in charge with a single brain cell

 

[M12Blue]

If I am incorrect and that we do know that having covid gives you immunity and we know that for certain it protects you from further infection then I am delighted to be wrong. Thrilled and far more optimistic for the future. If you would kindly put up a link to confirm this I would me most grateful. I will in turn send it to the WHO as I expect they will share my delight.

Population immunity of around 70% required.
Covid is same type of virus as influenza, what I mean is that it’s constantly mutating. So you can get flu again, despite already having it. That’s because it’s different seasonal flu and covid will eventually be the same in time, and when a vaccine ultimately comes it will be for those at risk just like the current flu jab.
The reason seasonal flu doesn’t shut down the country every year is because of background immunity and targeted immunisations. Lockdown is not because the corona is more dangerous than flu, but because it’s new, contagious and therefore many people will get it all at once and swamp the healthcare services.
You are right not all the answers are confirmed but we’ve had plenty of similar viruses around to base the medical assumptions. I’ll stick to listening to those in charge with a single brain cell

 

[spiny]

You seem to be arguing slightly different things with me, so I am going to be clear in laying out my position.

- The UK is currently not in a position to be opening up it's economy in the manner it is doing, Garden Centres included. If we'd acted sooner we might be, but we didn't so we are not. Once testing, tracing and tracking is in place, and community infections are down, we might be. Football is part of that. Until those are in place - not predictions that it will be, when it is, and is successfully running, like in Korea and Germany - then any opening of the economy will take us back to square one, damaging the economy in the process.
- The economy isn't in a recession because people should be getting on with things or getting back to work, it's in a recession because that is a very natural reaction to a once in a century global pandemic. You can't have infinite growth forever. We would be better positioned if we hadn't had a decade of austerity, but here we are. For the economy to recover, counter-intuitively, we shouldn't be rushing people back to work.
- I agree, the results of the pandemic will have knock-on efffects in terms of broader health, mental and physical. But shrugging our shoulders and pulling up our sleeves is not the best way to address that.
- I don't think it is possible for us to finish the season, given the above conditions, before July or August. I believe football is a middling priority right now. I think we might be able to play part of the new season behind closed doors, if we get to grips with things in the next 2 months. There would be ways of making things fairer, like possibly seeding teams or whatever, that everyone in the league and beyond will be able to agree to.

Many good points.

I dont see those pressing for finishing this seasons PL doing the same for the FA Cup which is near completion and whose rules include neutral grounds and has involved many more clubs at all levels than the PL. The money involved does not compare with the PL riches but is a lifeline for many lower league teams so merits being a priority for the FA for the good of the game.

No-one knows how this coronavirus pandemic will pan out so what is all this "finishing the season" all about? Money at any cost for a priviledged few? The only realistic solution is to null and void all competitions not completed. How this is done is open for debate and should be the priority as well as setting parameters for the future?

Season 2019/20 has already been tainted by the antics of UEFA, G14 clubs and VAR. FIFA, UEFA, the FA, EPL and football leagues all need to clean up their acts and address the future and each engage partners to renegotiate agreements between parties.

Players and fans are the lifeblood and are being alienated by political and financial agendas pushed through the media. Football will survive but not in its present form unless those involved at the top take their heads out of their arses and stop looking for more golden eggs where they do not exist.

 

[spiny]

Injuries are part and parcel of football, apart from training and conditioning. Forgetting all the virus testing, what happens if a player needs treatment on the pitch? Will this be considered self inflicted at odds with Government guidelines?

Many scenarios remain vague and more importantly who is liable? Why would anyone sign a disclaimer in itself a red flag warning of the real risks?

What if a player gets a cut, nosebleed, swallows their tongue or breaks a leg? Will mouth to mouth resuscitation be allowed? Physio and massages? Where would that leave Andy Morrison licking Collymores nose today ? Yellow card plus two weeks quaranteen?

Will players get priority on resources, including hospital beds and medical staff, in preference of say patients who have cancer treatment put back? Not to say a host of other procedures.

More questions than answers at a time when we are told to "be alert" yet football is seeking unecessary exposure for participants. It stinks.

Finish it all now and plan for the future.

 

[purplenose]

Population immunity of around 70% required.
Covid is same type of virus as influenza, what I mean is that it’s constantly mutating. So you can get flu again, despite already having it. That’s because it’s different seasonal flu and covid will eventually be the same in time, and when a vaccine ultimately comes it will be for those at risk just like the current flu jab.
The reason seasonal flu doesn’t shut down the country every year is because of background immunity and targeted immunisations. Lockdown is not because the corona is more dangerous than flu, but because it’s new, contagious and therefore many people will get it all at once and swamp the healthcare services.
You are right not all the answers are confirmed but we’ve had plenty of similar viruses around to base the medical assumptions. I’ll stick to listening to those in charge with a single brain cell

No worries mate you crack on. I genuinely hope you are right. I personally have some way to go to be convinced.