(04-29-2020 02:26 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  I am reminded of my old friend Chuck Latourette, who played NFL while in medical school in St. Louis, then came to Houston where he was with the Houston Gamblers of the USFL in three capacities - safety, punter, and team doctor.

(04-29-2020 02:23 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  

(04-29-2020 02:11 PM)Tomball Owl Wrote:  

(04-29-2020 02:07 PM)ruowls Wrote:  There are 3 potential means for transmission of disease that need to be addressed.

1) The participants: Players and coaches as well as support staff. The players will be mixing with students from their school as well as each other, coaches, opponents and another pool for transmission, game day support staff.

2) Game day support staff: Refs, chain gang, security, stats, vendors, TV or remote streaming staff and maintenance staff. This group will have overlapping contact with the participants as well as possible fans.

3) Fans, spectators: This group will come into contact with each other and group 2 with possibility of limited contact. This limited contact could be a means to bridge transmission from group 3 to group 1.

Testing only players routinely does nothing to prevent possible transmission from group 2 or 3. It also doesn't limit contact and exposure from other students. Testing participants would only ensure that they are not carrying the disease at the time of testing. They still are at risk of transmission from group 2 or 3. Testing ALL individuals from ALL groups before a game would be most difficult.

Even if you exclude fans (minimize group 3), you still have an open system with the possibility of transmission into group 1 from group 2 which is a must to conduct a contest.

So, this all comes back to what is the risk of disease to individuals. Also, if the spread is greater than known current prevalence, then there will be greater herd immunity in the fall which will minimize the risk even further. The vaccine is just a way to augment herd immunity by artificial means. And if herd immunity is already present, then what is the true risk? And as states open back up, herd immunity will continue to increase prior to the season.

In my opinion, we can't eliminate exposure to the virus. Even with a vaccine, we don't eliminate exposure. We increase herd immunity by artificial means. But if herd immunity is already present to a significant degree, what increase will a vaccine give? It would protect only those who didn't contract the virus and would be at risk for an adverse outcome if so exposed. And just how big is this risk? Probably not very big of a number. Life carries a certain amount of risk. So the question is if holding the upcoming season increases this risk for individuals? Unfortunately, we can't say for certain what the risk is. So, some predict the worse. Even if it is along the lines of a meteoroid falling from space and hitting a section in the stadium.

I would gladly be the medical staff at games and screen whoever I had to to get games to be played.

Good summary.

We appreciate your generous offer to be the medical staff, but many of us would rather you be at the games coaching.

Probably all of us.

The more jobs everybody can do, the fewer people need to be on hand. Safer that way. Win, win, win.

Bring back limited substitution rule, trim the roster... backups can hold the chains.

Officiating can be done remotely from league HQ.