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What is the real danger of getting coronavirus with a tennis ball

2020-08-04T10:28:24.521Z


The province's minister of health pointed them out as a source of infection. But experts consulted by Clarín affirm that the chances are almost nil.


Javier Firpo

08/04/2020 - 7:00

  • Clarín.com
  • Society

A laugh is heard on the other end of the phone. "No, please, there is no danger practically with a tennis ball. From 0 to 100 percent, the possibility of transmission of coronavirus is less than 1, rather close to 0 ". From the University of Guanajuato, in Mexico, where he is a professor of Microbiology, the infectologist Alejandro Macías affirms that "the tennis ball has almost no risk because it is a porous, rough surface, where the virus lives for a few hours and the who lives has no potency , lacks viral load. "

Days ago, the Minister of Health of the province of Buenos Aires, Daniel Gollán, had referred to the fact that the liberation of individual sports is unknown. The official assured that tennis could not return in the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area "due to the risk of contagion that it generates" and remarked that it is the ball "the great concentrator of the virus".

"Tennis players usually clean their perspiration with their arms and hands," said Gollán. "By rubbing them on their faces and then taking the ball, it can reach a large viral load.  Every tennis player wipes his nose with his hand, touch the ball and then go to the other player R. It is instinctive for perspiration, and that ball comes all groped to the other tennis player and the boys reaches balls, "he said.

Received at the University of California, Macías, who lived in Argentina during the influenza A outbreak, speaks of "logic and common sense." "Tennis is usually played outdoors, so the risk of catching the virus is less, butif we talk about an inanimate object such as a beanbag, there is practically no chance that someone would catch coronavirus for playing tennis. "

With an experience of almost forty years as infectious diseases, Macías explains that the only problem playing tennis would socialize after a game, or that play with the public, "and in that instance who would be at risk would be people not the players. Meter fear without foundations, speaking with authority because nobody will refute them is a custom of politics . Similar things have happened here in Mexico, but the clubs opened and tennis is played without problems. "

Macías also finds it "absurd" that the protocol presented by the Argentine Tennis Association, the ball has a mark that identifies its owner. "It is absolutely unnecessary, nothing will happen if the player takes the rival's ball with his hands. I insist that it is an inanimate, rough material, where the virus is extremely defenseless."

For his part, Agustín Calleri, the president of the Argentine Tennis Association pointed out that " the situation is not for more . More than 130 days that the teachers cannot work, that the clubs have their doors closed, that the tennis industry is totally stopped. We on April 25 officially presented the protocol to Minister Lammens and the Minister of Health of the Nation, and since then tennis has been played safely in 20 provinces . "

Infectious medicine doctor and member of the Argentine Society of Infectious Diseases (SADI), Lautaro De Vedia prefers not to enter into any controversy with the minister Daniel Gollán or to be involved in a political issue but believes that "the risk is very minor, I think that speaking of dangerousness contagion is going too far , there is no need. "

Measured in his words, diplomat, De Vedia, who works at the Muñiz Hospital, maintains that " the use of gel alcohol on the hands would be enough to be able to play quiet tennis , without an audience or a social event after playing sports On Gollán's sayings, the professional feels that "in theory what he says could be admitted, but in practice it is very difficult, but very difficult. I think his words were far-fetched, " he smiles austerely.

Believe De Vedia is that a period to lower the decibles, not to enter meaningless crossings "and neither to scare or generate fear . It would be really very striking if there was a contagion from the practice of tennis, or golf ... They would have to give a series of extraordinary coincidences. Why are these statements being made? I think it has to do with a concern about the possible overflow of the health system , I cannot find another explanation. "

Epidemiologist Mario Borini also smiles when Daniel Gollán's words refresh him. "I don't think they can believe it themselves. In unsustainable, I think it's more absurd than that of the runners . The chances of someone catching a tennis ball is the same as tossing a coin and falling ."

Professor at the UBA, and with many years in the profession, Borini tries to bring logic "to the implausible sayings of the minister. The ball bites on the ground, imagine that the virus does not like to get dusty, then the impact of the racket ... How does the virus react, which would be on top of an inanimate element? What viral load can it have? I think it is part of a discourse that seeks to transmit fear , it happens that now that discourse is broken and has less consensus. "

For Borini "there are many contradictions in the table of experts that advises the president because there is a serious conflict of interest that has to do with the financing of different laboratories . Many follies were carried out, which Ginés (González García, Minister of Health of the Nation) said about the runners, this that the activity was prohibited due to a question of image is a fallacy of appeal to piety , that is to say something absolutely deceptive. "

"From 1 to 100, what percentage of contagion? One, and that is a lot, " reckons Ricardo Teijeiro, an infectious infectious doctor who has been practicing for 40 years at the Pirovano Hospital. "The truth is that there are no reasons, there is no scientific evidence that determines that the tennis ball could be a contagion factor."

Teijeiro does not find answers to the reason for the words of the Buenos Aires Minister of Health. "I do not know the reason, I do not know if it is because he is afraid of the collapse of the health system or because he wants to be fearful ... It is true that the situation in the province of Buenos Aires, due to the circulation of millions of people, is worrying, but from there referring to the tennis ball as a virus vector is something else. "

Teijeiro talks about science fiction, about a Ray Bradbury novel so that he could catch a contagion while playing tennis , "You have to chain a series of very complex situations: first, if the player is infected, he is asymptomatic, therefore his viral load It is very low. Second, the ball has to transport the virus, already weak, to the other side of the field and the other player, after grabbing the ball, must run his hand over his face. It is, at most, right? " .

DD

Source: clarin

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