COVID-19 prevention tips
MDHHS Deputy Chief of Health and MDHHS Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, provides an update and tips for the prevention of COVID-19 in Michigan
Detroit Free Press
All Michigan youth athletes, from elementary to high school, must take a COVID-19 antigen test before games and training beginning in April, Governor Gretchen Whitmer and state health officials announced on Friday, recognizing that Youth sports are among the main factors of outbreaks across the state.
“Due to the many sports-related outbreaks, this new order requires young athletes, aged between 13 and 19, to participate in a weekly testing program to participate in athletic practices or competitions,” Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical officer of the state executive, said at a news conference.
“This is important because we have seen many outbreaks associated with sports teams and we want to identify all cases as quickly as possible and to prevent spread.”
The state plans to use rapid antigen testing, and the order appears to apply to all sports, whether outdoors or indoors. It goes into effect on April 2, although Lynn Sutfin, a spokesman for the state health department, told Free Press that “guidance for this program is being finalized.”
This also applies not only to high school athletics, but also to clubs and other leagues, and high schools where athletes are 13 or older.
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“In fact, we are already testing a lot of sports teams and working with schools to test,” said Khaldun. “So it’s feasible. We have a lot of antigen tests. We have the ability to buy more if we have funding, but I think it’s feasible and it’s a way for us to be able to identify cases as quickly as possible and we don’t have any more outbreaks arising between our sports teams. “
On April 2, the only winter sports of the Michigan High School Athletic Association that will still be in play will be the individual state wrestling finals (April 2-3) and the state men’s and women’s basketball quarter-finals. The state finals are April 9 for girls and April 10 for boys.
MHSAA Executive Director Mark Uyl said the rapid tests will be provided free of charge by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Uyl said he believed the order affected only student athletes and not coaches and officials, but that he was hoping for more clarity from the MDHHS, which is due to arrive on Saturday.
The policy shift comes as Michigan is on the verge of a new pandemic wave.
The rates of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and the percentage of positive coronavirus tests are increasing again, as highly contagious variants of the virus spread.
And since COVID-19 vaccines are only approved for people aged 16 and over and the state’s eligibility guidelines still don’t allow the majority of older teenagers to get the vaccine, most athletes cannot be vaccinated.
But the governor, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and the Michigan High School Athletic Association say it is still safe for students to play.
“We all have a personal responsibility to slow the spread and eliminate the virus as quickly as possible. We want to continue taking steps forward. We need to make smart choices to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe,” said Whitmer.
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In response to COVID-19’s disturbing trends in November, the state health department instituted a temporary ban on indoor sports in high schools. That ban was lifted in February, but state officials said they expected easing of this and other restrictions would lead to more cases.
Has.
For the first time during the pandemic, Michigan saw more outbreaks last week in K-12 schools than in long-term care facilities. From early January to late February, the state identified at least 315 outbreaks associated with clubs, schools and recreational sports, Khaldun said.
Approximately 180,000 students play sports in high school each academic year, according to the MHSAA. In theory, this indicates a substantial number of tests that need to be purchased, distributed and used in order for athletes to practice and play.
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Since the beginning of the pandemic, Michigan has reported 618,421 cases of coronavirus and 15,835 deaths from COVID-19. The seven-day average of new daily cases has now reached 2,149, the highest since January 18, according to an analysis of state data from the Free Press.
“Although children are less likely to become seriously ill with COVID-19, they can still,” said Khaldun, “or can pass it on to people in their families or communities who can become very sick.”
A rare complication of COVID-19 that can appear in children several weeks after an infection with the virus called multisystemic inflammatory syndrome – children, or MIS-C “, can cause inflammation of several organs and potentially cause long-term damage and even even death, “said Khaldun.
“So far 89 cases of MIS-C have been identified in children in Michigan. This is a reminder that we still need to protect our children from this terrible virus, and protecting our children also protects our wider community.”
Children with this MISC-C condition may experience any of the following symptoms:
- Fever
- Bloodshot eyes, chapped lips or bright red tongue
- Skin irritation
- Abdominal pain
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Neck pain
- Extreme exhaustion
The syndrome can also cause inflammation in different parts of the body, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes and gastrointestinal organs.
When the disease attacks children’s hearts and lungs, it can be especially dangerous. Some of the children who developed this condition need intensive care and are so sick that they need a respirator to help them breathe or an artificial heart and lung machine known as ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation).
Nationally, 2,617 cases of MIS-C have been identified and 33 children have died from it, according to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In Michigan, data from the state health department shows that 65 children were admitted to intensive care units with MIS-C and that there were five or fewer deaths in the state.
Contact Dave Boucher at [email protected] or 313-938-4591. Follow him on Twitter @ Dave_Boucher1.