EFL and Premier League clubs were warned about Omicron infection. This will cause players to be unable to play and could lead clubs across the country to postpone games.
Experts have said that the highly transmissible nature and close proximity of footballers make it almost impossible to form more clusters, and most clubs will be affected. Sportmail.
Paul Hunter is an epidemiologist from the University of East Anglia. He believes Omicron, based on data taken in Europe and South Africa will cause significant disruption to fixtures and teams.
Professor Hunter said that the situation at Tottenham would likely be replicated in other clubs. Professor Hunter said, “I believe it will be difficult for soccer.
EFL and the Premier League have written to clubs to ask them to improve their practice and to take emergency steps. They also asked them to cancel their Christmas parties. However, it is possible that their efforts will be futile.
This new version looks like a real threat to Christmas fixtures calendar.
Omicron is the latest concern as Tottenham’s Premier League match against Brighton was delayed due to the Covid epidemic in the Spurs camp.
Premier League has ordered top-flight clubs to reinstate emergency covid to stop the spread of the virus, and to protect Christmas programmes. Pictured: Mo Salah
A match between Rennes and the European Conference League was also cancelled by London North. However, there is concern that Leicester City’s next top-flight game may have to be canceled.
The Foxes had seven missing players during their Europa League encounter with Napoli. Their 3-2 defeat saw them slip into the Europa Conference League.
Today, Dean Smith, Norwich City’s manager, stated that he was waiting for the Covid results from several of his players before deciding whether to take them on their trip with Manchester United.
The concern about the Omicron variant goes well beyond football. Michael Gove today will host a meeting of four nations called the Cobra to discuss concerns about the Omicron variant spreading.
Discussions will be held about the Covid-19 latest data, and the best way to coordinate responses to Omicron cases in the UK.
Official spokesperson for the Prime Minister confirmed that the meeting took place. She stated, “Given the current Omicron situation, we believe it’s sensible to have those conversations with the devolved admins to further our ongoing coordination effort.”
The virus is still spreading through football, which faces challenges.
Clubs may see more clusters, which will make it impossible for them to play. While you may be able to lower the risks, there is no way to prevent these events from occurring.
“I’m not sure how many clubs are affected, but it could be several over the course of the coming weeks.”
Omicron appears to be a problem for football teams and players in particular. The data indicates that it is much more transmittable than previously known variants. This is leading to more super-spreader events as well as a faster growth of infection among young people. Sportmail.
After a Christmas party at work, in Oslo (the capital of Norway), 70 of the 120 people tested positive for Covid. Two staff members of the solar company were recently infected with Covid. Nearly half of those infected tested positive for Omicron.
These and other situations have alarm experts. In its letter to clubs this week the EFL made reference to Oslo and suggested several measures including the separation of players and coaches based on their vaccination status.
As the EFL aims to reduce Omicron variant spread, football clubs are instructed to divide their players into two jabbed, boosted and previously infected groups.
Professor Hunter stated, “It will spread fairly quickly,” “The 20-something age bracket is where infections are increasing right now.”
He stated, “It has reached the point when if you get people together on the same coach or in the same room and one person is infected then there’s a high chance that it will whip through all of them.”
“Nothing is ever 100%, but there are some preliminary data that clustering events provide. [suggests]You can make Omicron a household name if your coach is energized.
According to the expert, it’s unlikely that spread can be limited by sitting in different areas of the bus.
Reports say that the English Football League issued new guidance on coronavirus to 72 clubs
Although official statistics suggest that around one percent of Covid cases in Britain are due to the Omicron variant there, Professor Hunter said they fall by one week. He suggested that the true figure could be closer to six per cent.
Experts believe that vaccines plus previous infections can offer protection from the new virus, although it may not be enough. He said that double vaccination and boosters, which are either previous infections, can protect individuals.
Omicron is a formidable challenge for football according to Paul Hunter
While transmission on the pitch remains unlikely, there is a greater chance of an infection being passed from one player to the next during team celebrations or team hugging. The risk of infection may be less if players share changing rooms or travel facilities.
Professor Hunter stated that the virus is infectious and clubs will soon be able to play again after several weeks.
He also urged players and staff to get vaccinated if they are not already. He said, “Getting vaccinated is the only way to lower your chances of contracting disease.”
Javier Manquillo from Newcastle United has his Covid status reviewed at St James’ Park
Premier League, EFL and other clubs are aware of the risk of transmission. They have taken measures to stop matches from being delayed over this busy holiday period.
The top flight has seen teams be required to adhere to strict protocols ever since June 2020 when football returned. This includes social distancing at training grounds and PPE.
These requirements have been gradually relaxed over the past months due to rising vaccination rates.
The Premier League informed all twenty teams that long-standing emergency procedures are back in effect.
Under the government’s Plan B, Premier League fans who attend a game next week must be prepared to prove their Covid vaccination status.
The EFL has instructed clubs to create a segregation system for players who have had their coronavirus jabbed twice, are boosted and previously infected.
This guidance suggests goalkeepers shouldn’t train together to decrease the chances of them becoming “close contacts” in case of positive Covid tests and reduce the possibility of disruption.
To limit spread of the virus, all supporters attending stadiums that have a capacity greater than 10,000 must show proof of either a double coronavirus vaccine or a negative flow test in order to be allowed to watch matches starting Wednesday under Plan B.