NBA’s Strategies to Mitigate COVID-19 Exposure Outlined in Recent Report
A comprehensive report has highlighted the strategies implemented by the National Basketball Association (NBA) to effectively mitigate COVID-19 exposure during the 2019-2020 season. The NBA’s approach, which included the creation of a social bubble, serves as a precedent for future pandemic management.
The NBA temporarily halted operations in March 2020 due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, in July of the same year, the league resumed the 2019-2020 season within a controlled environment at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. This enclosed space, known as the “Bubble,” consolidated basketball facilities, accommodation, and medical resources.
The NBA’s Bubble was a pioneering effort to establish a self-contained yet fully functional campus amid the pandemic. A recent study provides the first comprehensive documentation of the methods and protocols utilized within the Bubble.
Before entering the Bubble, all participants had to undergo a quarantine period and test negative for COVID-19 through a PCR test. Once inside, only authorized staff members were allowed to enter or exit the Bubble throughout its operation from July 1 to October 11, 2020.
Residents within the Bubble were required to provide daily updates on their symptoms, body temperature, and oxygen levels. They also underwent daily PCR testing, with the samples being processed at off-site labs. Strict adherence to physical distancing and mask-wearing was enforced, with few exceptions.
During the Bubble’s operation, a total of 148,043 PCR tests were conducted on approximately 5,000 individuals, including players, staff, media representatives, and vendors. Only 24 positive cases were identified within the Bubble, and the daily positivity rate remained consistently below 1%, even as the surrounding Orlando community experienced rates as high as 15%.
The success of the Bubble allowed for the conclusion of 205 games, effectively concluding the 2019-2020 NBA season. The presence of 40 compliance officers and on-site mental health services contributed to the success of the Bubble, ensuring that protocols were followed and providing support to players and staff dealing with the emotional strain of separation from their families.
The authors of the report emphasize that the principles followed within the Bubble can be applied in settings with more limited financial and occupational health resources. They state that “protocols can successfully enable a closed community to function safely within a broad community with high disease prevalence” and identified success factors that are applicable in managing respiratory virus pandemics.
The NBA’s strategies and the success of the Bubble serve as a valuable example for future pandemic management in various settings. This comprehensive account of the NBA’s COVID-19 mitigation efforts showcases the effectiveness of rigorous adherence to protocols within a controlled environment.
Source: Tech Times
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