Posted by Medical Committee Member of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Dr. Prince Pambo has revealed that players who contract Coronavirus (Covid-19) disease have a higher risk of suffering cardiac attacks in future.
Football in most parts of the world has been at a standstill since March due to the spread of the novel coronavirus. Over the past weeks, numerous football federations are making arrangements to resume football, with the German Bundesliga already taken the lead.
Things haven’t been any different in Ghana as the Ghana Football Federation (GFA) earlier this month tabled a proposal to the government to ease coronavirus restrictions to enable the country’s major league and other leagues return.
Speaking to Joy News, Dr. Prince Pambo advised against the decision of returning to football. He stated that football should only resume when there’s zero risk involved because footballers who have contracted the virus and gotten treated stand a higher risk of suffering a cardiac arrest during play.
“Scientific research proves and confirms that any player who has contracted COVID-19 and gotten treated, that player stands a higher risk of suffering a cardiac arrest during play”, the CAF Medical Committee member said.
He also advised on the need for medical assessment to be done on every player before resuming to the field.
“We the medics in sports have now focused our attention on the pre-competition medical assessment which has to be done before allowing these players to play. Every sports person has the right to demand that comprehensive medicals will be done before playing”
“It will cost a minimum of $150 dollars to do this for one player. If each club registers 30 players, we are looking at $4,500 dollars for each club. This means that a lot has to be done before we can get our game back,” he added.