Scots medic sees degree of ‘acceptable risk’ among athletes

ONE of the world’s most highly-regarded rugby medics has stated his belief that all sports can be back up and running before a coronavirus vaccine is found.

Doctor James Robson, Scottish Rugby’s head of medical, has been speaking to counterparts at the SFA, European Tour golf and the Scottish Institute of Sport among others to provide a joint approach to the crisis that has led to a total shutdown of sporting events.

He concedes that games will initially have to be played behind closed doors or in front of limited crowds but stated that, sooner or later, competing amid ‘acceptable risk’ will be something all sportsmen and women will be moving towards.

Robson, when asked whether rugby and other sports could restart before a vaccine is found, said: ‘I believe so. Let’s take it away from rugby. Many of my NHS colleagues are going to work and they work in close proximity to each other.

‘If any other people in any other profession have to go to work once we get this virus under control, we will have to learn to live with it.

‘There will always be a risk but we have to look at what measures decrease that risk. Continuing with good hand hygiene, isolating people — these are simple measures that will come into play.

‘With the best will in the world we should be able to get into close contact with an acceptable risk attached to it. There can never be no risk but, if there is a risk of injury during a rugby game, that and the risk of illness have to be minimised.

‘The gold standard has to be a workable vaccine. We know that the majority of the population suffer no or mild symptoms.

‘It will only be when the government and the medics combined say it is an acceptable risk that games will happen.

‘There are a lot of things to be done and looked at before we get sport pre-vaccine.

‘It may well be that the initial games are played either behind closed doors or in front of a very small crowds.

‘That way you can mitigate and space them out, you can keep very good social distancing, particularly if it’s an outdoor event, and of course that mitigates virus transmission as well.’

Robson has made clear it will take at least a month, or even as much as two, before players will be in good enough condition to safely play such a fast and physical game as rugby after the coronavirus crisis is over.

‘What steps that have to be taken before players can return to play is something we’re working on right now,’ he said.

‘You’ve seen the Bundesliga are starting to get back and La Liga in Spain are considering how they might get their teams back. People all around the world are looking at this issue.

‘The English Premier League are looking at bringing people into hotels. It’s about trying to mitigate the risk of infection.

‘If we were to introduce this first at say, Edinburgh Rugby, you’d be looking at a phased approach.

‘There are lots of people working on this in lots of sports. That’s why I implore that we all share that resource and knowledge and help us get back to sport timeously and safely.

‘We must not compromise what we have managed to do as nations and countries.’