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ObjectivesTo examine the interactions between SARS-CoV-2 positive players and other players during rugby league matches and determine within-match SARS-CoV-2 transmission risk.MethodsFour Super League matches in which SARS-CoV-2 positive players were subsequently found to have participated were analysed. Players were identified as increased-risk contacts, and player interactions and proximities were analysed by video footage and global positioning system (GPS) data. The primary outcome was new positive cases of SARS-CoV-2 within 14 days of the match in increased-risk contacts and other players participating in the matches.ResultsOut of 136 total players, there were 8 SARS-CoV-2 positive players, 28 players identified as increased-risk contacts and 100 other players in the matches. Increased-risk contacts and other players were involved in 11.4±9.0 (maximum 32) and 4.0±5.2 (maximum 23) tackles, respectively. From GPS data, increased-risk contacts and other players were within 2 m of SARS-CoV-2 positive players on 10.4±18.0 (maximum 88) and 12.5±20.7 (maximum 121) occasions, totalling 65.7±137.7 (maximum 689) and 89.5±169.4 (maximum 1003) s, respectively. Within 14 days of the match, one increased-risk contact and five players returned positive SARS-CoV-2 reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) tests, and 27 increased-risk contacts and 95 other participants returned negative SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR tests. Positive cases were most likely traced to social interactions, car sharing and wider community transmission and not linked to in-match transmission.ConclusionDespite tackle involvements and close proximity interactions with SARS-CoV-2 positive players, in-match SARS-CoV-2 transmission was not confirmed. While larger datasets are needed, these findings suggest rugby presents a lower risk of viral transmission than previously predicted.

2 sensitivity to health care worker collected nasopharyngeal swabs 3 4 ABSTRACT 24 Background: Current testing for SARS-CoV-2 requires health care workers to collect a 25 nasopharyngeal (NP) sample from a patient. NP sampling requires the use of personal protective 26 equipment that are in limited supply, is uncomfortable for the patient, and reduces clinical 27 efficiency. This study explored the equivalency of patient-collected tongue, anterior nares 28 (nasal), and mid-turbinate (MT) samples to health care worker-collected NP samples for 29 detecting SARS-CoV-2.30 Methods: Patients presenting to five urgent care facilities with symptoms indicative of an upper 31 respiratory infection provided self-collected samples from three anatomic sites along with a 32 health care worker-collected NP sample. Using NP as the comparator, sensitivities and one-sided 33 95% confidence intervals for the tongue, nasal, and MT samples for detection of SARS-CoV-2 34 were calculated.35 Results: The sensitivity for detecting SARS-CoV-2 in patient-collected tongue, nasal, and mid-36 turbinate samples was 89.8% (95% CI: 80.2 -100.0), 94.0 (95% CI: 84.6-100.0) and 96.2 (95% 37 CI: 87.7-100.0), respectively. Among samples yielding positive results, cycle threshold (Ct) 38 values (a measure of viral load) had correlation coefficients of 0.48, 0.78, and 0.86 between the 39 NP samples and the tongue, nasal, and MT samples, respectively.40 Conclusions: Patient-collected nasal and MT samples demonstrated high sensitivity for SARS-41 CoV-2 detection using health care worker-collected NP samples as the comparator. Among42

Morbidity and mortality associated with activation of inflammatory and coagulation pathways include conditions other than AIDS, CVD, and non-AIDS cancer events. Effective inflammation-dampening interventions could greatly affect the health of people with HIV.

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