Testing, Vaccines and the Virus - An Experience in Elite Sport

Description

In this session, Jo Banks, an orthopaedic surgeon and Chief Medical Officer for British Judo, discusses the challenges faced by elite sports during the COVID-19 pandemic. Banks opens with a brief introduction about her roles and the unique issues that have arisen for athletes, especially as the pandemic coincided with the end of an Olympic cycle. She addresses the impact of COVID-19 on sports, emphasizing the need for effective training and competition strategies while ensuring safety.



She explains the nature of COVID-19, its transmission, and the importance of testing in managing its spread among athletes. The session includes a detailed overview of the types of COVID tests available — antigen tests, antibody tests, and PCR tests — explaining their relevance and methodology, as well as challenges such as false positives and negatives that have affected athletes' ability to travel and compete.



The talk also touches upon the vaccination rollout within sports, emphasizing the importance of immunization and the different types of vaccines being administered. Banks concludes by reflecting on the future of elite sports, addressing the necessity to adapt to the ongoing presence of the virus and to maintain health and safety for athletes while continuing to train and compete internationally. Participants are invited to reach out with questions via email post-presentation.

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