How the Coronavirus May Change Sports
There is no doubt that Coronavirus has completely changed our world in ways we couldn't previously have imagined - and all in just a few short months. Certainly, the impact on sport has been incredible, with everything from professional events to grassroots club sports being cancelled across the board.
But how will Covid-19 change the way that we enjoy sports games in future? After all, fitness, sport and games are an integral part of our society and play a crucial role in the nation's health and wellbeing. And for professional athletes, these questions are even more pressing, with entire livelihoods resting on how quickly - and fully - the world can return to normal.
Well, we already know that large gatherings of any kind are likely to be banned for some time. One of the crucial things for sports organisers to consider will be attendance. Live sports matches have been an incubator for the virus, and in Milan a February soccer game played a huge role in Italy's outbreak. In Spain it was a Champions League football match which became identified as Game Zero, and in the UK the Cheltenham Festival was believed to massively amplify the country's outbreak, with hundreds of attendees reporting symptoms within just a few days.
Equally, victory parades are a problem. In San Francisco the city's administrators have widely cited the fact that the 49ers miss in the Super Bowl saved lives by removing a Championship parade from the city.
As a result, sports matches are likely to be played without an audience for some time. These can continue to be live-streamed and, when the conditions are right, audiences might be allowed to return with social distancing and testing in place.
Temperature checking is likely to be a big part of the return to live audiences. When tickets are scanned at the stadium, the holder's body temperature will be scanned too. Already some delivery services are using this technology, although there are threats that asymptomatic carriers will go undetected.
Expect to see sideline interviews sidelined too. Ditto for press conferences with bodies packed into a room. Digital technology is likely to replace these events with Zoom-style meetings. Players will also be encouraged not to meet fans physically or to give high-fives. Pundits might also be separated into their own rooms or - again - socially distanced.
For outdoor sports at least, the prospect of a return to form may be a little easier, with the virus already believed to be more resistant to transmission in the outdoors. For smaller events and grassroots sports, this could spell good news. Equally, there is evidence that children are less likely to catch or spread Covi-19, so parents may be glad to see their offspring preparing to be active once again.
Ultimately, the hope is that a vaccine will be found. But the threat of a pandemic of any kind will still weigh heavily on governments' minds, and it will be interesting to see if certain safety and hygiene measures - such as enhanced cleaning and disinfection - remain in place well into the future.