The details of the protocol to resume Serie A training have been leaked, including daily blood tests and swabs for the first week, with players kept in an isolated retreat.
Football in Italy has been shut down for over a month due to the coronavirus pandemic and training is expected to resume from May 4, after the latest Government decree expires.
The details of the protocol to resume Serie A training have been leaked, including daily blood tests and swabs for the first week, with players kept in an isolated retreat.
Football in Italy has been shut down for over a month due to the coronavirus pandemic and training is expected to resume from May 4, after the latest Government decree expires.
The FIGC (Italian Football Federation) put together a commission of sports medics to work out a protocol for how clubs can return to work in safety and that was handed to the Minister for Sport, with a final decision expected on Wednesday.
La Gazzetta dello Sport published the documentation and it warns without a vaccine, there is no ‘zero’ risk of infection, but risks can be lowered to a minimum.
Players and staff will be called in for medical tests three to four days before the training begins, with staggered times to ensure social distancing.
The blood test for antibodies will initially be performed every day for the first week, along with swabs, to check which players have already had the virus and are now immune.
Players are then split into three groups for training, those who have already tested positive with serious symptoms, tested positive with minor or no symptoms, and those without the antibodies.
Once they have begun the training regime, they’ll all remain locked inside a facility such as a hotel or training ground to avoid potential contamination.
Their temperature will also be checked daily, and after that initial week, the blood tests will be cut back to one every couple of weeks.
As for those who were positive and have now recovered, they will be subjected to extra intensive medical tests to see if there are any underlying health issues or after-effects from COVID-19.
This includes checks on the heart, kidneys and lungs, with a 24-hour heart monitor and CAT scan on the torso.
It is particularly important, because the report points out 25 per cent of critical COVID-19 cases also suffered heart damage.
“Infection has been associated with multiple direct and indirect cardiovascular complications including acute myocardial injury, myocarditis, arrhythmias and venous thromboembolism.”
The incubation period for coronavirus is up to 14 days, so if the players and staff are all kept in isolation for two weeks during training and the area is regularly cleaned, they should by then be ready to work in large groups again.
Physiotherapists will have to wear protective clothing, including mask, gloves and a face shield, while the players getting the treatment need masks too.
When moving from the training camp to a hotel or stadium, everyone must wear masks and gloves.
If a player or member of staff should test positive during this period, they must immediately be isolated and the whole environment thoroughly cleaned again.
Players must remain two metres apart when training, changing or eating during the first two weeks, showering in their rooms rather than as a group.