COVID ATHLETES ‘CAN COMPETE’

AUSTRALIAN athletes riddled with Covid-19 will be cleared to compete at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games if specialists, including heart experts, give approval.

For the first time at a major multisport event, competitors with low levels of the Covid virus can take part, a far cry the situation at the Tokyo Olympics and Beijing Winter Olympics, where even asymptomatic athletes were quarantined and banned from their events.

But in Birmingham athletes who are well and are shedding low amounts of the virus will be allowed to compete if it poses little risk to themselves. However, Covid positive athletes who compete in team sports, or events held indoors, will be assessed at a higher standard than individuals, because of the elevated risk of transmitting the highly contagious virus. Decisions on whether they are allowed to compete will be made by each nation’s team doctor.

“If an athlete is well enough to train or compete — we need to not put others at risk — so we may transport them to their event in a car rather than the team bus,’’ said Australian team doctor Michael Makdissi, a veteran of five Commonwealth Games.

Makdissi said it was “tough’’ to decide on the participation of Covid athletes from sports that weren’t individual.

He said he would look at the physical presentation of the athlete and how they felt, the amount of virus in their system and which way the viral load was trending with repeat testing.

Makdissi said there was now less medical concern around how coronavirus impacts the heart. But in borderline cases he will consult with a range of specialists such as cardiologists to help him make a determination.

Doctors look at the cycle threshold (CT) level, which is how many magnifications a sample undergoes before the virus is detected.

“Someone in the high teens or low 20s CT value is a high viral load and they may not compete, but someone in the 30s CT is starting to get well, so it depends on their event,” Makdissi said. “There is a not a specific figure that is a cut-off, it will be looked at case-by-case.”

Britain has no government restrictions in place, no mask wearing and Covid is regarded in the same league as a common cold. The Games are also bringing together people from around the Commonwealth, with different vaccination policies.

Makdissi said he was grateful that each team doctor could make health decisions about team members rather than having a specific rule.

But he also acknowledged this benefited larger teams such as Australia and England, who had access to experts and team doctors.

“I worry other teams don’t have that level of care,’’ he said.

“The Commonwealth Games Federation has set up a system for smaller teams, but they will have less control in the decision-making and for them it will be more about specific numbers (of CT values).’’

CGF medical commissioner Dr Peter Harcourt said decisions about those with Covid being able to compete would be made by looking at a “matrix” of information.

“If you see an improvement (in the CT levels) then you can have a lot more comfort, and if they have lost their symptoms, these are all factors that will be evaluated,’’ Harcourt said.

But he acknowledged that two athletes presenting with the exact same circumstances could have a different determination. “It is unfair, but Covid is unfair,” he said.

Around 12 athletes a day have been found to have coronavirus when they are tested upon arrival at the Games village. At this stage no Australian athletes have tested positive at the village, having undergone extra testing 10 days out, as well as pre-flight.