Arsenal have confirmed that players and staff will not be tested for coronavirus unless they show symptoms.
In the early hours of this morning, it was announced that tonight’s game against Manchester City had been called off and that the players will spend the next 48 hours in self-isolation.
The decision to take such drastic measures came after Olympiacos’ owner (and also the owner of Nottingham Forest), Evangelos Marinakis, revealed that he had contracted the virus.
Marinakis had contact with Arsenal players in the tunnel at the Emirates after watching his side knock us out of the Europa League 13 days ago. The BBC report that only five players are actually affected.
With government advice telling people to self-isolate for 14 days after potential contact with the virus, those affected, which includes staff who sat near Marinakis in the directors’ box, will stay at home until Thursday. Presumably, the five players will resume training on Friday as we prepare for Saturday’s trip to Brighton.
When for clarification on the testing situation, an Arsenal spokesperson said: “We’re following the guidelines. Tests done when symptoms display.”
I’ll rather play City when hopefully they’ll more focused on CL than soon after a derby defeat when they are looking to make amends. We have a history of facilitating teams and players that are looking to get back in form.
It’s looking more and more likely that the league and CL will be suspended altogether.
Will be a fitting end to this schitty season imo..
That is not cool. These are world class athletes chance to show symptoms are low.
But there’s no data to support this.
Just that kids to people in their late 30s are less likely to have very bad symptoms. It gets progressively more dangerous at 40 years and up.
And of course those with medical complications are more likely to have severe symptoms. I have mild asthma. Really hoping the world starts being proactive.
8 dead in the UK all very old with underlying health issues. Social distancing, washing hands a lot, and not touching your face is going to help just do it folks!
I have to agree with this. Rugani Juventus defender tested positive with virus without showing any symptoms at all. Maybe their good physical condition does protect them
The scariest thing about this is that you can infect others days before showing any symptoms at all. How on earth is it possible to contain this without locking everything down? The western leaders have dealt with this terribly.
Now that we have an example right in front of us in Italy of what happens if you delay acting…. why are we still not taking serious measures??
So much ‘idiot’ in this post, I’ve nowhere to begin. You win.
Oh, another one probably shouting “It’s just the flu!”
Last I checked China was in the East and Iran in the Middle. Atlas, much?
My point is that after seeing what’s happening to a very similar, developed nation in Italy, the rest of the western leaders should act now instead of waiting when it’s too late.
Or you could be rational and carry on with your life and keep up your good personal hygiene *cough cough*. Every cold, flu and a host of other medical conditions are passed before you see symptoms including, but not limited to, aids, ghonhorea, syphilis and if you are an example stupidity
Carry on your daily life? Did you not see what the Italian prime minister said? Don’t be like us and wait. Act now.
China has said the primary mode of infection is airborne droplets from infected people sneezing and coughing. In an indoor environment the radius is 4-5 meters and last for about half an hour.
Washing hands is one thing but going around your daily life avoiding every single cough and sneeze is another thing.
Our defenders needn’t bother self isolating…they didn’t get close enough to the Olympiacos players to catch anything ?
Jks.. Seems a sensible precaution. Stay safe y’all.
wait, 5 Arsenal players affected? As in they are confirmed cases? And how will they just train for Brighton.. can someone explain something I don’t quite get?
5 arsenal players came in contact with the olympiacos owner. They are affected by corona or showing any of it’s symptom.
*not affected
I assume it just means that 5 players were in the vicinity of the Olympiacos’ owner and this is a precaution. The five players in question can’t have nay symptoms as yet.
The Olympiacos owner was in contact with Olympiacos players who in turn were in direct physical contact with our players who in turn were in contact with the staff and some fans they shook hands with and these fans were in contact with other fans and their families.
Affected, not infected. There’s all the explanation you need!
Why the thumbs down? Read a book, morons. I suggest: The Dictionary.
Belittling the author of a post by referring to him as an ‘idiot’ for making a perfectly reasonable comment about leaders of western nations (likely European nations such as Italy, west of China, who, as you quite rightly state are in the east), then calling the others here ‘morons’, and referring them to a dictionary, and you query why you got the thumbs down. ?
Guidelines are guidelines, but doesn’t it make much more SENSE simply to test five people immediately instead of postponing the game and putting the whole club on hold?
No because in those 14 days you still can be infected and in incubation period even with a negative test result
I believe there’s a shortage of test kits and they don’t want to use them if it’s not necessary. If the players don’t show any symptoms by the end of the quarantine period they’re in the clear, and he also met coaching staff and various other people so it would be a lot of tests and the quarantine expires soon anyway.
Above all else do not listen to toad-face bigot on the BBC for advice. (Farage)
Or just don’t ever listen to him in any circumstances?
That’s solid advice right there
Would you want to be around 5 people you knew had recently shaked the hands of a dude with coronavirus?
I know the risk is small, but surely a few tests make sense here? Also, aren’t other clubs’ players/reps at risk too? Notably, Notts Forest?
Testing when they have shown no signs or symptoms may be counter productive as results may be inconclusive. Normally when a person starts showing symptoms, the virus becomes detectable by the test kits.
There have been many cases in Asia where patients were tested negative multiple times before they started developing symptoms.
True, but no harm in checking now too, surely?
People can still transmit the virus whilst being asymptomatic. This is beyond idiotic.
If one of the symptoms is lethargy then better test the entire squad. They may have been carrying it for months. Other then that, life goes. I live in Asia and I do my day to day life just fine. I don’t wear a mask, use alcohol disinfectant and stay away from anybody coughing or sneezing. I’m just fine. So much fear mongering happening back home in the UK but there’s also a real lack of understanding of the illness too. I’ve talked to friends back in UK who seem to legit think Corona Virus will kill them outright. At… Read more »
Finally some common sense
You are neglecting the real risk of younger people being infected. It is not that they are at any great health risk as individuals, but at an R0 of 3 the exponential growth of infected persons put the UK now at less than 50 days from reaching the same infected levels of Italy.
Just a correction. I checked the daily increase in the Uk. If it continues at this rate then the UK will reach the same number of infected persons as Italy has within 14 days.
Absolute rubbish.
14 weeks behind the Italian curve.