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Khan NA, El-Menyar A, Asim M, Abdurahiman S, Al Musleh AA, Al-Thani H. Academic and healthcare efforts from Cessation to complete resumption of professional football tournaments during COVID-19 pandemic: A narrative review. Heliyon 2023; 9:e22519. [PMID: 38046158 PMCID: PMC10686895 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e22519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus led to over 626 million infections and 6.5 million deaths worldwide and forced to cancel or postpone several sporting events. Effective control techniques are therefore urgently required to avoid COVID-19 spread at these local and global events. This narrative review addressed the healthcare and research efforts on the intersections between COVID-19 and major professional sports leagues worldwide, with special reference to the FIFA World Cup football 2022. This explained how the broader transformation of COVID-19 from being a potential risk to an urgent pandemic public health emergency, caused the world of Football to halt between February and March 2020. This review could add to the growing literature on the importance of scientific research in understanding the relationship between mass sports events and COVID-19 trajectory, concerning studies conducted globally and particularly for the recommencement of major professional football competitions. The information outlined in the article may help sports organizations understand the risks associated with sports and their settings and improve their preparedness for future events under unprecedented circumstances. There were tremendous global healthcare and research efforts to deal with this unprecedented pandemic. The successful FIFA World Cup football tournament was an indicator of the success of these efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naushad Ahmad Khan
- Department of Surgery, Trauma &Vascular Surgery, Clinical Research, Hamad General Hospital, Doha, Qatar
| | - Ayman El-Menyar
- Department of Surgery, Trauma &Vascular Surgery, Clinical Research, Hamad General Hospital, Doha, Qatar
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, Doha, Qatar
| | - Mohammad Asim
- Department of Surgery, Trauma &Vascular Surgery, Clinical Research, Hamad General Hospital, Doha, Qatar
| | - Sameer Abdurahiman
- Clinical Information Systems (CIS), Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
| | | | - Hassan Al-Thani
- Department of Surgery, Trauma and Vascular Surgery, Hamad General Hospital, Doha, Qatar
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Muwonge A, Wee BA, Mugerwa I, Nabunya E, Mpyangu CM, Bronsvoort BMDC, Ssebaggala ER, Kiayias A, Mwaka E, Joloba M. An open-source digital contact tracing system tailored to haulage. Front Digit Health 2023; 5:1199635. [PMID: 37538199 PMCID: PMC10394895 DOI: 10.3389/fdgth.2023.1199635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Digital contact tracing presents numerous advantages compared to manual contact tracing methods, especially in terms of enhanced speed and automation. Nevertheless, a lack of comprehensive evaluation regarding functionality, efficiency, benefits, and acceptance within communities remains. Here we primarily focus on the functionality of THEA-GS, an open-source digital contact tracing tool developed through consultation with stakeholders. Additionally, we provide insights from its implementation on a limited sample of haulage drivers in Uganda, serving as a representative case for a low- and middle-income country. THEA-GS comprises two primary components: (a) a smartphone application, and (b) a suite of server-programs responsible for data processing and analysis, including databases and a web-based interface featuring dashboards. In essence, the mobile application records the timestamped location of haulage drivers within the road network and identifies possible transmission hotspots by analyzing factors such as the duration of stops and the communities associated with them. The tool can be integrated with national infrastructure to compare drivers' diagnostic results and contact structure, thereby generating individual and community risk assessments relative to the road network. During the Omicron-variant wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, a total of 3,270 haulage drivers were enrolled between October 2021 and October 2022. Around 75% of these drivers utilized THEA-GS for approximately two months. Based on an analysis of 3,800 test results, which included 48 positive cases, 125 contacts, and 40 million time-stamped GPS points, THEA-GS shows a significant speed improvement, being approximately 90 times faster than MCT. For instance, the average time from sample collection to notifying a case and their contacts was approximately 70 and 80 min, respectively. The adoption of this tool encountered challenges, mainly due to drivers' awareness of its purpose and benefits for public health. THEA-GS is a place-based digital contact tracing tool specifically designed to assist National Public Health Institutions in managing infectious disease outbreaks involving the haulage industry as a high-risk group. While its utility, acceptance, and accuracy have not been fully evaluated, our preliminary tests conducted in Uganda indicate the tool's functionality is robust, but social acceptance and adoption are heavily reliant on establishing trust among users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Muwonge
- Digital One Health Laboratory, The Roslin Institute, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Blockchain Technology Laboratory, School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Bryan A. Wee
- Digital One Health Laboratory, The Roslin Institute, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | | | - Emma Nabunya
- School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | | | - Barend M. de C. Bronsvoort
- Digital One Health Laboratory, The Roslin Institute, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | | | - Aggelos Kiayias
- Blockchain Technology Laboratory, School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Erisa Mwaka
- Department of Anatomy, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Moses Joloba
- School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
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Asim M, Khan NA, Osmonaliev K, Sathian B. The emergence of novel infectious diseases and the public health impact of mass gathering events: risks and challenges. Nepal J Epidemiol 2022; 12:1238-1241. [PMID: 36741771 PMCID: PMC9886557 DOI: 10.3126/nje.v12i4.50997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
To date, there is the continuous emergence of novel infectious diseases endangering individuals' health and well-being worldwide. Over the past few decades, around forty contagious diseases, such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus-1 (SARS), Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS), Ebola, Zika, and newly, COVID-19 and Monkeypox outbreaks, have been reported globally. Zoonotic transmission is the major cause of these emerging infections in humans. These, whether caused by previously unknown pathogens or by those already well-known to science, heighten global concerns about the spread of communicable diseases and the resulting increase in death and disability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Asim
- Clinical Research, Trauma and Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Hamad General Hospital, Doha, Qatar,Correspondence: Dr. Mohammad Asim Ph.D, Clinical Research, Trauma and Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Hamad General Hospital, Doha, Qatar.
| | - Naushad Ahmad Khan
- Clinical Research, Trauma and Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Hamad General Hospital, Doha, Qatar
| | | | - Brijesh Sathian
- Geriatrics and long term care department, Rumailah Hospital, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar,Centre for Midwifery, Maternal and Perinatal Health, Bournemouth University, Bournemouth, UK
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