Bundesliga re-start? Sports medicine warns of corona consequential damage to professionals

Infection with the corona virus could have fatal consequences for professional athletes. Sports doctor Wilhelm Bloch from the German Sport University Cologne (DSHS) warns against this in an interview with the ARD “Sports Show” with a view to the possible restart of Bundesliga play.

“An athlete should be concerned that an infection can be the end of his career,” said Professor Bloch, who works at the Institute for Circulatory Research and Sports Medicine at the DSHS.

Covid-19 could also take a severe course of the disease in young people without previous illnesses. The reasons are currently still being investigated by science.

According to Bloch, the virologist Christian Drosten from the Charité in Berlin had already pointed out the danger in the NDR podcast “Coronavirus Update” in mid-March that was associated with the usual course of infection: first the virus multiplies in the throat, only then in the lungs. As a result, the immune system normally has time for a reaction, the chances of a mild course increase.

In contrast, according to Drosten, “it is conceivable that someone is not infected in the throat, but instead inhales a high dose of virus from the air into the lungs, and that the infection starts in the lungs”. Bloch considers this consideration to be “very justified” and particularly relevant for sport. “If you are really breathing, the gas exchange increases by a factor of 40 – above the respiratory rate and because you have 3.5 liters of breathing volume, professional athletes even more. That means you breathe deeply into your lungs. And there is the place where serious damage can take place. ”

With a view to the plans for team training and match play, Bloch warned: “You have to protect the athlete. So am I taking the risk of a serious infection involving lung involvement and possibly the end of my career? At least this cannot be ruled out. ”

Bundesliga start already in May?

The Bundesliga could start again in May and continue its season with games without an audience. According to information from the German Press Agency, the federal government wants to give German professional football approval for the resumption of play in the 1st and 2nd Bundesliga, which has been suspended since mid-March due to the corona crisis. It was important to “give professional sport an overall perspective, it is also about economic issues,” said Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) on Wednesday in the ZDF morning magazine a few hours before Chancellor Angela Merkel’s consultations with the heads of government of the federal states.

A possible date is not mentioned in the federal government’s draft resolution that is available to dpa in Berlin. There, a version updated on Wednesday morning states: “The start of the game must be preceded by a quarantine measure, possibly in the form of a training camp, as provided for in the tested concept.” In a first version, the wording was: “The game must begin anticipate a two-week quarantine measure, possibly in the form of a training camp. ”So far, the possible re-start was on May 15 or May 22.

The weekend from May 15th to 17th wishes – subject to political approval – Hans-Joachim Watzke. “My big wish would be May 16, which would really enable us to properly end the season before June 30, because we have to, because otherwise we have to live with recourse obligations, otherwise we have to negotiate” said the managing director of Borussia Dortmund in the RTL early magazine. “But at the moment we have every reason to be humble and we just have a wish, but politics has to decide, that’s for sure.”

A continuation of the season is of enormous importance for the league, because many clubs face financial difficulties due to a lack of income. If the Bundesliga continued, at least the million dollar TV money would be secured. 25 match days have been completed in the two highest German game classes, the remaining nine match days are now to be made up for.