Skip to main content

High School Sports Does Not Increase The Spread Of COVID-19, According To UW Study

 

By Sarah Vandermolen

photo courtesy of adexchanger.com

A recent study conducted by the University of Wisconsin Madison suggests that high school sports do not increase the spread of COVID-19.

According to the Chicago Sun Times, "Researchers led by Dr. Andrew Watson surveyed 207 schools that restarted fall sports in September, representing more than 30,000 athletes, more than 16,000 practices and more than 4,000 games."

The results showed "271 athletes contracted the virus overall compared with 2,318 Wisconsin children aged 14-17 over the month of September," according to the Chicago Sun Times. Research also showed that no sports were found to have a higher incidence rate of COVID-19. Luckily, none of the research cases resulted in hospitalization or death. 

The Chicago Sun Times also states, "All the schools reported they had a formal plan in place to reduce the risk of transmission, including monitoring for symptoms, temperature checks at home and on site, masks for staff and players off the field, social distancing, increased facility cleaning and staggered arrival and departure times for events."

Overall, the results suggest that participating in high school sports does not increase the risk of contracting COVID-19, however, more studies need to be conducted in order to provide a "complete picture," researchers wrote.

This news comes at a time when the number of coronavirus cases are at an alarming high in the state. Wisconsin was one of the first states to end their quarantine, with the state's Supreme Court lifting the stay-home order on May 13, thirteen days before Governor Tony Evers intended for the order to end.

Due to the increase in cases, "The Madison Metropolitan School District announced Monday that it will not hold any winter athletics programming through at least Jan. 24. Dane County health officials have outlawed games and competitions for medium- and high-risk sports, including volleyball, soccer, basketball, tennis, football, and hockey," according to the Chicago Sun Times

Wisconsin high school athletes will have to hold out hope for the return of school sports in the spring.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

A New Board Game Coffee Shop in Shorewood: The Critical Grind

 Noëllie Inard Credit: www.criticalgrind.com  On Thursday, November 10th, a new cafe named the Critical Grind Board Game Café opened in Shorewood, Illinois. This coffee shop is a little different from cafes already opened in the Joliet, Plainfield and Shorewood areas. Situated on 852 Sharp Drive in the Sharp Center off Black Road near Route 59 in Shorewood, the coffee shop, previously owned by a kickboxing studio, is close to the Bliss Hair Studio. The owners, Dana Buxbaum and her husband Shaun Tenant, mixed what they loved to create their idea of the perfect coffee shop. “I always wanted a coffee shop,” said Dana Buxbaum, “My husband and I combined our love of gaming with my vision of the coffee shop.” The coffee shop has made available bookshelves full of games such as Clue, The Serial Killer Trivia Game, Sorry, Dragoon and many more. In an interview with Patch editor, Buxbaum stated that they have “[...] about 400 games in [their] library” with family-friendly and inclusive...

Supermercado Joliet's Business Booming

 By Shayna Griffith Image Credit: Yahoo News Supermercado Joliet supermarket located at the intersection of Cass and Collins Streets has been a recent hit in local dining with their taco stand. With the perfect weather in Joliet, customers from all around Will County are stopping in for outdoor dining and authentic hispanic food.  Supermercado Joliet taco stand is known for their hispanic food and speedy service. A reporter from the Joliet Patch claims he received his $8 taco meal only 90 seconds after ordering. Their fast and reliable service is very appealing to customers, so much so that Supermercado Joliet attracts a diverse range of customers all throughout the area. In an interview with the Joliet Patch , Supermercado owner Lucia Kulbartz said the taco stand serves customers of black, hispanic, and white races. Kulbartz says she is proud of the diversity her business attracts. When Supermercado Joliet isn’t selling tacos to hungry customers, they are selling hispanic fo...

Busy Week for Joliet Police

 During this past week there have been numerous crimes that the Joliet Police Department have had to deal with. The following stories detail JPD's experiences with these crimes. By Josh Golden Mugshot of Tierra Rodgers Via Will County Jail JPD's SWAT Team Finds Wanted Man in Attic      Joliet, IL - Eric D. Tyler is a 35-year-old criminal defendant who was arrested after hiding from the police. Tyler has multiple warrants out for his arrest for two counts of domestic battery, possession of a gun by a felon, theft, loan fraud, and wire fraud.  JPD located Tyler in the attic of a house on River Bend Lane. Once they discovered that he was located at this house, JPD closed off traffic and established a perimeter around the Lakewood On Caton Farm subdivision. The Special Operations Squad, which is the name of Joliet's SWAT team, provided help with searching and clearing the house and ensuring that Tyler was unarmed. Tyler is now in the Will County Jail awaiting trial....