A case report of COVID-19 monitoring in the Austrian professional football league

Since the beginning of the COVID -19 pandemic, many contact sport teams are facing major challenges to safely continue training and competition. We present the design and implementation of a structured monitoring concept for the Austrian national football league. 146 professional players from five clubs of the professional Austrian football league were monitored for a period of 12 weeks. Subjective health parameters, PCR- test results and data obtained from a geo-tracking app were collected. Simulations modelling the consequences of a COVID-19 case with increasing reproduction number were computed. No COVID -19 infection occurred during the observation period in the players. Infections in the nearer surroundings lead to increased perceived risk of infection. Geo tracking was particularly hindered due to technical problems and reluctance of users. Simulation models suggested a hypothetical shut-down of all training and competition activities. A structured monitoring concept can help to continue contact sports safely in times of a pandemic. Cooperation of all involved is essential. Trial registration: ID: DRKS00022166 15/6/2020 https://www.who.int/ictrp/search/en/

Association of national COVID-19 cases with objectively and subjectively measured mental health proxies in the Austrian football league–an epidemiological study

We aimed to explore the association of national COVID-19 data with the objective and subjective mental health proxies (i.e. location variance, self-reported sleep quality, level of recovery, perceived risk of infection) in team and staff members of five professional Austrian Football clubs. Data were conveniently collected during the implementation of a novel monitoring concept. The concept was designed to enable safe continuation of professional Football during the COVID-19 pandemic. These data were matched with Austrian COVID-19 data and smartphone collected location data. Multivariable linear regression models explored the association of COVID-19, defined as daily novel or active Austrian cases of COVID-19, with the mental health proxies. An increasing number of novel Austrian COVID-19 cases was significantly associated with deteriorating sleep quality (B 0.48, 95% CI 0.05; 1.00). An increasing number of active Austrian COVID-19 cases was significantly associated with an increase in perceived infection risk (B 0.04, 95% CI 0.00; 0.07) and location variance (B 0.28, 95% CI 0.06; 0.49). An increasing Austrian COVID-19 incidence is adversely associated with mental health in professional Footballers and staff members. During the ongoing pandemic, targeted mental care should be included in the daily routines of this population

A consensus protocol for functional connectivity analysis in the rat brain

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