By Marty Gordon
Sometimes sports serve as a distraction from the problems in the world, but this week sports became part of everything going on around it because of the coronavirus. Events were cancelled left and right.
On a normal day, I would discuss which athlete was having a good day on the court. On a normal day, I would write about who was winning the latest tournament. Not today.
Today, we have to realize there is something affecting almost everyone in this world. I hope we can find some truths and how sports are being affected by the impact of the coronavirus. A lot of the activities have come to a screeching halt. That includes the Big South Confernce’s women’s basketball tournament at Radford University’s Dedmon Center.
Due to the rapidly changing landscape regarding COVID-19 and amidst the cancellations of major college basketball tournaments, the VHSL Basketball Tournament games for Friday and Saturday have now been cancelled as announced by VHSL Executive Director Dr. John W. “Billy” Haun.
“After continuing to assess the impact of COVID-19 and the recent cancellations throughout the sports world, we felt it was in the public interest to cancel our championship finals for Friday and Saturday,” Haun said. “While we understand how disappointing this is for all fans of our teams, we feel this decision is in the best interest of public health, including that of, most importantly, our student-athletes, coaches, administrators, families, and fans.”
Teams in Class 3, 4, 5, and 6 will be declared co-champions.
The title tilt with Auburn in Class 1 went on as planned on Thursday.
This is all uncharted territory, and no one really knows what to expect. But we must be diligent in protecting against the disease’s transmission.
The thing that has given us the release from the madness — sports — is now gone.
It has become a part of the story. I have gone back and forwards about what is happening. I hate to see things like the ACC basketball tournament cancelled, but I also hate to think what could happen if one affected person attended the event. We just don’t know.
As we move forward, I think the health of our student-athletes ranks high on any list. Then throw in the health of the people watching in the event, and we have a betting chance someone is going to get sick.
The decision on the NCAA tournament is being made, and I believe it needs to be cancelled. Yes, the media probably has helped to blow the virus out of the park. But again, that might not all be that bad. No NCAA tournament this year.
We need to figure out what we really are dealing with.
If there is anything we should take from the matter, it is to practice better hygiene. Yes, that means washing your hands more. It also means covering your mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing.
All of that will help to make us healthier.
I admit I have learned more about coronavirus in the past few days than I could ever imagine, and a friend sent me the following, which explains it a little better.
If you have a runny nose and sputum, you have a common cold.
Coronavirus pneumonia is a dry cough with no runny nose.
This new virus is not heat resistant and will be killed by a temperature of just 26 degrees. It hates the sun.
If someone sneezes with it, the virus takes about 10 feet before it drops to the ground and is no longer airborne.
If it drops on a metal surface, it will live for at least 12 hours, so if you come in contact with any metal surface, you should wash your hands as soon as possible with a bacterial soap.
On fabric, it can survive for 6-12 hours. Normal laundry detergent will kill it.
Drinking warm water is effective in fighting it. Avoid liquids with ice.
Wash your hands frequently as the virus can live in your hands for only 5-10 minutes, but a lot can happen during that time—you could rub your hands (BAD!), pick your nose (BAD!) and so on.
You should also gargle as a prevention. A simple solution of salt in warm water will suffice.
And you should drink plenty of water.
The symptoms are deceiving: The virus will first infect the throat, so you will have a sore throat lasting 3-4 days. The virus then blends into a nasal fluid that enters the trachea and then the lungs, causing pneumonia. This takes 5-6 days.
With the pneumonia comes a high fever and difficulty in breathing.
The nasal congestion is not like the normal kind. You will feel like you are drowning, and it’s imperative you then seek immediate attention.
Everyone, stay safe out there.