COVID II: Omicron Strikes Back

[DeepPocket]

Does anyone know the NCAA’s current requirements for COVID testing of athletes?

Are they still testing asymptomatic athletes before each contest?

I ask out of concern for this coming season. I recently had the opportunity to listen to a physician at a Boston area hospital speak regarding COVID positivity rates. Specifically he was talking about how symptomatic positivity rates compared to those tests conducted on asymptomatic persons within his facility during this Omicron surge.

The positivity rate for symptomatic people was approximately 38%, while the positivity rate for asymptomatic people tested was approximately 33%. A small margin if you ask me. That is to say roughly 3/10 people who went to his hospital for a broken nose, a stubbed toe, or anything else, also had COVID.

Regardless of anyone’s personal politics on this issue, if we are testing every athlete prior to every game, we won’t be having too many games, correct? (That is, if those numbers are anywhere near a cross-section of the populous)

Depressing to even think about.

[InsiderRoll]

Does anyone know the NCAA’s current requirements for COVID testing of athletes?

Are they still testing asymptomatic athletes before each contest?

I ask out of concern for this coming season. I recently had the opportunity to listen to a physician at a Boston area hospital speak regarding COVID positivity rates. Specifically he was talking about how symptomatic positivity rates compared to those tests conducted on asymptomatic persons within his facility during this Omicron surge.

The positivity rate for symptomatic people was approximately 38%, while the positivity rate for asymptomatic people tested was approximately 33%. A small margin if you ask me. That is to say roughly 3/10 people who went to his hospital for a broken nose, a stubbed toe, or anything else, also had COVID.

Regardless of anyone’s personal politics on this issue, if we are testing every athlete prior to every game, we won’t be having too many games, correct? (That is, if those numbers are anywhere near a cross-section of the populous)

Depressing to even think about.

Other sports are continuing play even in the NESCAC. I wouldn’t be too stressed about it at this point,

[ergit]

Does anyone know the NCAA’s current requirements for COVID testing of athletes?

Are they still testing asymptomatic athletes before each contest?

I ask out of concern for this coming season. I recently had the opportunity to listen to a physician at a Boston area hospital speak regarding COVID positivity rates. Specifically he was talking about how symptomatic positivity rates compared to those tests conducted on asymptomatic persons within his facility during this Omicron surge.

The positivity rate for symptomatic people was approximately 38%, while the positivity rate for asymptomatic people tested was approximately 33%. A small margin if you ask me. That is to say roughly 3/10 people who went to his hospital for a broken nose, a stubbed toe, or anything else, also had COVID.

Regardless of anyone’s personal politics on this issue, if we are testing every athlete prior to every game, we won’t be having too many games, correct? (That is, if those numbers are anywhere near a cross-section of the populous)

Depressing to even think about.

Other sports are continuing play even in the NESCAC. I wouldn’t be too stressed about it at this point,

I would agree. Personally not worried…

[thescottharris]

NCAA policy requires the unvaccinated to get tested weekly. Fully vaccinated (first two doses) don't have to be tested unless they are symptomatic or have a documented close contact with someone who tested positive. Last I heard they hadn't changed the quarantine period to 5 days though, it's still 10 days + 24 hours of no symptoms. So if you don't have symptoms after day 8, you are good to come back after day 10. IF you're still symptomatic after day 10, you have to keep sitting out until you go 24 hours with no symptoms.

There's assuredly going to be games postponed (and canceled if there is no reasonable way to reschedule the game). With the omicron variant already dying down in some of the areas hit the earliest by it, it likely won't be as bad as we've seen in basketball this year - just like last year, there weren't nearly as many postponements/cancellations for the spring/fall sports).

This year, it hasn't been as bad as last year for basketball. Like last year, the ODAC had more men's basketball games cancelled than actually played, but most of the teams that have had games postponed/canceled have only had a small handful or fewer games impacted.

With many (perhaps most?) colleges requiring the vaccine and some even the booster, that is going to help a lot, as we are seeing within basketball. Not going to completely prevent someone from getting COVID, but will reduce their chances and generally greatly reduce the severity of it if they do get it, which means being able to get back to playing quicker.

If nothing else, just having the SAs vaccinated is going to greatly reduce the # of positive tests and thus postponements/cancellations because they won't have to get tested unless symptomatic or a close contact of a positive person. Can't test positive if you don't get tested, after all.

[wscl44]

.

[laxdad30]

My sons college requires all students and staff to me vaxxed and boosted before they set foot on campus. My son was 2 shot vaxxed and caught COVID just before he left school to come home for Christmas. He just got boosted and now he's heading back to school next week. He should be SUPER boosted at this point.