Thursday, December 12, 2024

Arsenal seeking clarification over Tierney self-isolation news

Earlier today the Scottish FA released a statement to say that Kieran Tierney would have to self-isolate for 14 days having been in close contact with Scottish teammate Stuart Armstrong who tested positive for Covid-19.

This is in spite of the fact he, and all other members of the squad, thankfully tested negative for the virus.

A two week restriction would have put his participation in the Man City game on October 17th in doubt, but Arsenal are seeking clarification over the situation, and released a statement of their own this afternoon.

They say:

Our medical team have confirmed that Kieran was socially distant at all times from the player who tested positive and has broken no rules regarding COVID-19 protocols. We are currently seeking further advice and clarification of the details.

Tierney himself says, “I’m so disappointed and frustrated to be in this situation. I have adhered to all regulations and made sure I was socially distancing from my team mates in the hotel. I’ve also tested negative.

“I know Arsenal and the SFA are now in discussions with the Scottish authorities to gain a further understanding.”

Like so much that surrounds Covid-19, there’s an element of confusion, so let’s hope this one can be cleared up asap.

In the meantime, keep washing your hands, and wear a mask when required to protect yourself and to protect others.

Stay safe.

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C.B.

Crazy if he has to miss the City match and very bad news for us, given what an asset he is.

Let’s hope it gets sorted out sensibly.

Man Manny

I see Pep’s hand in this. I heard from a reliable source that he has friends in the Scottish FA.
. Anything to weaken the gunners for him.
The next will be Kola. Watch this space.

Kunlewoye

Football version of Q-anon now? Ffs

Non-flying dutchman

Celtic his next club? He does like a leagues most well resourced team

Berlingoon

Maybe a back 3 of Holding, Luiz and Gabriel isn’t the worst thing against City. I know the purpose of Tierney’s role is transition but I think our new shiny number 18 can do that too, at least in tandem with Ceballos.

GraeB

Let’s hope there’s not much of a Partey in Ghana during this break

Non-flying dutchman

when is the Partey jokes party going to end?

Sean

This is just getting silly now isn’t it. He’s tested negative, surely that should be the end of it. At a push, maybe a week of self-isolation and another test which if negative allows him to carry on as normal. Before I get downvoted to kingdom come I’m not downplaying the risks of Covid-19 but this just seems like bureaucratic nonsense

Henry

I agree that if he was socially distancing he probably doesn’t have it. But unfortunately medical experts say that false negatives are quite common – they happen 20-30% of the time, hence the precaution of 14 day isolation nonetheless.

karl

I can’t see why they bothered testing if the outcome is the same for self-isolation.

Danger Mouse

So you’re saying basically that the test gives out loads of false negatives and false positives. No point taking the bloody test then.

Andy

Tests are unlikely to yield high rates of false positives AND high rates of false negatives, otherwise you could simply reverse the results ie call a negative a positive. My epidemiologist friends tell me the testing protocol currently on offer is skewed toward false positive, therefore a negative result is probably a true negative (or at the very early stage).

Richard

btw wtf cares if you’re downvoted, there’s always idiots, even among us Gunners 😀

Cygan’sbaldspot

It seems they have quotas to hit.

David C

A negative test doesn’t mean he doesn’t have covid. It might mean that the virus hasn’t built up enough in his system to register a positive.

If he tests negative in 4-5 days then he should be fine for the game. 14 days seems excessive.

Also, interlulls suck!!!!

Savage

And a positive test doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you either

Dmitri

Is that you DT???

Danger Mouse

I see you’re getting downvoted for stating a demonstrable fact. Strange times we’re in.

Daveo

Technically, it is correct. As I pointed out yesterday it is estiamtes that between 8 and 40 out of every 1000 positive results are false positives. While that is low (and lower than the false negative rate of 2-33% of negative results that also occur more frequently), and below the generally applied (but arbitary) level of significance often used in science (alpha value = 0.05 or 5%). Nonetheless, false positives do still occur, albeit rarely.

Daveo

and the published, peer reviewed scientific evidence of that:
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(20)30453-7/fulltext

Timorous Me

I mean, you might feel fine but you still have the virus, which means you can easily spread it to other people who may very well NOT feel fine when they get it.

That’s the ugly rub of this bastard virus. To pretend otherwise is the equivalent of sticking your head in the sand.

Arsenorf

You sound like an expert, so what do you think about Yale’s latest study on the efficiency of HCQ-based treatment?

SheffieldGooner

No, but it might well mean he ends up killing his grandma.

samu

That is entirely FALSE. I looked up that information and there is no process that says that. If you test NEGATIVE you can move along and not isolate. The test (unfortunately depending how it is used) can come up positive for non active dead viral wreckage from a Corona Virus family that isn’t even infectious. The whole testing is a sham mostly like a ”vaccine” for the virus.

Timorous Me

One of Trump’s cronies stated last night that he’d tested negative four days in a row, and then on the fifth day he tested positive. That’s why just one negative test, especially early in the process, doesn’t mean someone won’t test positive later on.

Okester

You’ve done well. Only the one downvote. Arsenal fans clearly a sensible Lot.

Arsenorf

After I read that you are “not downplaying the risks of Covid-19”, I thought I’d downvote you; but then I read Henry’s reply and oh boy.

kinghenrythe14th

The football governing bodies should stop paying lip service to the dangers of the Corona virus. These internationals, unlike regular club matches could easily be done away with for a year until a semblance of normalcy returns. League matches had TV obligations to fulfil and to some extent, clubs needed the funds to remain afloat. I don’t see the reason why nations should add this unnecessary dangerous dimension to the equation; what exactly is the reason why these matches cannot be postponed for now while reducing the workloads of these players in such a short season

Biggles

Yes, that’s a fair point – none of these games is of particular importance. If Covid really takes off again, maintaining a league program will become increasingly difficult never mind other games.

Doug

No one is forcing these players to play in the match. They can very easily opt-out if they choose to.
There is nothing “dangerous” about them based off the precautions they are taking

Atom

Choosing not to play likely will have ramifications in terms of not being selected for major tournaments if they do occur and for even when things do “normalize”. So yes the players can refuse to play, but they will face consequences for doing so.

Henry

Who is going to opt out of their international matches and risk scorn from their home nation fan bases? Too much pride, legacy, and desire to represent their country is on the line.

Comedian

Why put players in a spot. If not A and B player comes C will tag along. Playing international games makes zero sense.

Futsboller

I honestly don’t know why clubs continue to send their players — I didn’t understand prior to the pandemic, and really don’t understand now. The club is that individual’s employer, pays all the wages, is responsible for the player’s health and well-being, and suffers all of the liabilities and consequences should something happen to the player on international “duty” (perhaps that word is the root of the problem here). The power that clubs and players and fans and such grant to FIFA is obscene – no wonder governing that body is a pocket-filling affair. I don’t think there is any… Read more »

Biggles

But clearly not all the precautions are being fully observed by the players or by other people in contact with the players otherwise Armstrong wouldn’t have got it. It’s just not worth the risk or, frankly, the bother.

kinghenrythe14th

Nothing dangerous you say? Considering football requires group contact training with people from other “bubbles”, I find your statement rather baffling.

King 14enry

Original name. Awkward…

Diaby's Left Peg

I can see an argument to continue competitive internationals as some FA’s rely on the money and you’ve got fixture obligations to complete.

The friendlies however seem like an even bigger waste of time than they did before a global pandemic.

Riku

Am sure city will have virus issues and isolations, in this interlull like all teams . It’s a squad game. I hope KT is available Nd glad he tests negative.

Rectum_Spectrum

because FIFA needs it’s coin.

loose_cannon

Would be totally bizarre for him to miss a game when he’s tested negative! Hopefully common sense prevails.

Modha

In this current climate, why the juddering fuck are we having ‘friendlies’? As better and angrier people have pointed out, this bollocks our squad for City.

Modha

Ignore me, I saw it was for Nations League….which….hang on….checks notes….oh is ALSO bollocks

Dean

Upvote for ‘juddering fuck’

Non-flying dutchman

first game was a qualifiers play off so was a comptetive fixture

Non-flying dutchman

but as per Deans instruction below I have given you an upvote for juddering fuck

Biggles

It’s all rather odd, isn’t it but with different Covid rules and regulations in many places perhaps not that surprising. Hopefully, Arsenal can sought it out satisfactorily with the Scottish FA and he’ll be free for the City game – I’ve a feeling we’re going to need him.

Atom

I’m kind of confused why Scottish rules even matter. Are they not allowing him to return to London and that’s why they do?

Kris

The Lothian Health Protection Team have identified Tierney as a close contact of the player who has tested positive. Are the health authority obliged to disclose why they think he’s a close contact? Clearly Arsenal and Tierney believe he hasn’t actually broken any of the presumably pretty stringent rules around social contact. The negative tests are one thing, but we’re clearly in a situation where Tierney hasn’t broken any rules but the health protection team are still telling him to self-isolate. So I think we’ve every right to take issue either that the rules in place weren’t adequate (in which… Read more »

Atom

So I get the initial part. But if he tests negative again in 4-5 days he should be fine given incubation period. Does he have to stay in Scotland and that’s why the 14 days applies? Mane tested positive and Liverpool played less than 48 hours later

GraeB

He probably sat on the plane/bus/dinner table with him thereby meeting close contact for 15 minutes criteria.

Non-flying dutchman

Surely a factor whether he might have had it previously and thus still have antibodies? Do we have any idea how many of the squad picked it up earlier this year at the same time as Arteta after the Olympiakos game? Must have been a few

The Frog

When I saw the headline on Arsenal.com “Club Statement: Kieran Tierney” I got a huge shock. Now these news suck and seem unnecessarily strict (surely Arsenal can arrange a safe transfer to London and he quarantines there for some days and gets regular tests, if that is necessary?).
But somehow relieved that it isn’t a bad injury or something, in comparison two weeks of rest and missing some pointless international games seems less bad.

Also, really hope that he stays healthy!

Gareth

Does it not suggest that mixing other people in different “social bubbles” should not be done and there shouldn’t be an interlull at all.

karl

Maybe it is because the tournaments have been expanded so much for the financial gain of UEFA and FIFA, but international football is not that great these days. Now there is another reason to dislike it too.

Qwaliteee

FFS. Our defence is cursed.

You have to look at the bigger picture and say safety first, especially the safety of the player, but man, this is a pain in the arse. We’re barely into four Premiership games and we’ve lost Tierney twice. Fuck our luck.

Non-flying dutchman

his in my fpl team as well… still got my wildcard though

Cranky Colin

And stay to fuck out of Tesco

assistantref

The guy who actually tested positive only needs to isolate for 10 days, but the people he may or may not have had contact with have to isolate for 14 days. Yeah, that makes sense.

Block 12 Gooner

It actually does. If it takes 4-5 days to show symptoms, then we can assume Armstrong got the virus 4-5 days ago, which means he needs to isolate for at least 10 more days to equal the usual 14-day course. But if Kieran was just exposed, then his 14-day clock starts now.

Mentalista

By that same logic, if he shows no symptoms and tests negative after 5 days he should be released?

Typical tantrums

I honestly don’t see the point of internationals anymore. What a waste of resources and time.

Gunnerjoe

If he returns to London he then only has to do 10 days if it’s true self isolation is only ten days in England

GraeB

How does he get to London – unless he’s an SNP MP?

Gunnerjoe

How did he get to Scotland maybe drive

Non-flying dutchman

Stopped off at Barnard castle on the way

Danger Mouse

This whole thing is madness. Player has had test, doesn’t have covid, let him play. The rules with this covid crap are ludicrous.

stynyr

Let’s go to VAR.

*Measuring sticks and lines across the hotel lobby*

DECISION
SAFE SOCIAL DISTANCE MAINTAINED
VAR

Ozenal

There’s no way they will allow this to slide.

Looks like 14days without our future Captain.

newguy

This doesn’t make any sense. If these standards are to be maintained, then the entire squad needs to isolate since they were all presumably in ‘close contact’ given group trainings and all. Same case with Liverpool. Mane tested positive but they played a match less than 2 days later.

Name*

Most international matches are certifiably poor. It is a chore to sit through a match, more often than not and rarely does one see anything worth watching. Why don’t they do away with the stupid international breaks till we are through this pandemic? It’s not as if these matches are going to generate any significant revenue which would be at stake, plus there’s a precedent with the now Euro 2021!

Eyob

Can any one explain to me why the person having COVID-19 has to quarantine for 10 days and those presumed in contact with him, for 14??? just wondering. Stay safe

bob

Fucking International games. They are boring and inconvenient at the best of times, but running them in the middle of a pandemic has got to be one of the most idiotic decisions yet. Whoever thought that adding more mixing to the already difficult situation of keeping players (and everyone around them!) safe at their clubs, who pay their wages and hold the full responsibility for their welfare, has to be a special brand of stupid and greedy.

Andy

Step up, FIFA

Arsenorf

“Like so much that surrounds Covid-19, there’s an element of confusion…”
Going out on a limb there, are you?
I’d say you may well be onto something 😉

jon

Norway this summer cut the quarantine to 10 days, based on evidence that the incubation period of COVID-19 is normally 5-6 days (although it can be as long as 14 days).

If Tierney tests negative 16 October (after 10 days), he could in my opinion be released back into society with negligible risk.

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