SARS-CoV-2 Positivity in a Combat Sports Bubble

Area of Science:

• Sports Neurology
• Infectious Disease Management
• Public Health in Sports

Background:

• Combat sports present unique challenges for communicable disease transmission control.
• Sports neurologists play a key role in managing the safety of athletes and staff during events.
• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the development of specific protocols for sporting events.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a SARS-CoV-2 testing protocol for combat sports.
• To determine the positivity rate among athletes and staff in these events.
• To ensure the safe management and continuation of combat sports during a pandemic.

Main Methods:

• Utilized PCR testing via nasal swabs upon arrival for all participants.
• Implemented quarantine measures until test results were available.
• Conducted retesting within 72 hours of events and managed positive cases through off-site isolation.

Main Results:

• A total of 8,135 tests were conducted between July 2020 and April 2021.
• 42 positive SARS-CoV-2 tests were identified among 1,649 subjects.
• The overall SARS-CoV-2 positivity rate for the events was 0.516%.

Conclusions:

• An effective SARS-CoV-2 protocol was designed and implemented for combat sports.
• The protocol facilitated the safe execution of 28 major combat sports events.
• The developed protocol can serve as a model for managing future communicable disease outbreaks in sports.