Period prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infections and willingness to vaccinate in Swiss elite athletes

Schmid, Michael J.; Lin, Ming-Fa; Gojanovic, Boris; Schmid, Jürg; Conzelmann, Achim

doi:10.1136/bmjsem-2022-001330

Cited by 2 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…Indeed, in this study, the occurrence of infection was the highest among water polo players and artistic swimmers while the lowest among open water swimmers. This aligns with reports of higher transmission of SARS-CoV-2 infection in team sports 35 , 36 .…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

“…Similarly, most studies have reported mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms in athletes 32 , 35 , 39 – 41 . In our findings, the main symptoms were headache, fever and cough.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…In a Swiss COVID-19 survey assessing the prevalence and symptoms of the infection in elite athletes, the disease prevalence was less than 20%, with a male predominance 35 . Interestingly, in our cohort, female athletes had higher rates of SARS-CoV-2 transmission, but symptom severity did not differ between the sexes.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Retrospective study of COVID-19 experiences in elite multinational aquatic athletes

Juhász,

Csulak,

Szabó

et al. 2023

Sci Rep

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This study assessed the experiences of elite aquatic athletes with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during the first World Championship conducted without social distancing and an isolation “bubble”. An online questionnaire was completed by 812 athletes (22.7 ± 5.9 years, 467 females) to provide data on demographics, sports activity, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection rates, symptoms, reinfection, vaccination status, and psychological aspects. The answers revealed that 49.4% of athletes had experienced SARS-CoV-2 infection. The infection rates varied significantly across different aquatic sports, with open water swimmers having the lowest (28%) and water polo players (67%) and artistic swimmers (61%) having the highest infection rates (p < 0.0001). The majority reported mild (51%) or moderate (27%) symptoms, while 16% remained asymptomatic. Reinfection occurred in 13%, and 10% of initial infections led to long COVID, with fatigue (65%) and shortness of breath (48%) being the most common long-term symptoms. Significantly, 92% of athletes received at least two vaccine doses and reported a positive vaccination experience (median score of 8 out of 10 for each shot). Mood changes and subjective performance drops significantly correlated with the overall experience scores (rho: 0.617, p < 0.0001, and rho: 0.466, p < 0.0001, respectively). In conclusion, most athletes experienced a benign disease course despite a relatively high infection rate. This study provides valuable insights into the COVID-19 experiences of elite aquatic athletes. The findings emphasize the importance of vaccination initiatives, monitoring psychological well-being and the need to fortify athletes’ resilience in the face of future health challenges.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

“…Similarly, most studies have reported mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms in athletes 32 , 35 , 39 – 41 . In our findings, the main symptoms were headache, fever and cough.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%