NCAA Shuts All Spring Sports Down

3/12/2020
By: Terrill J. Weil
Da Boot Sports!


      The NCAA has just announced they will cancel remaining winter and spring men's and women's sports due to the spread of the coronavirus. 
      This includes::
   **Men's basketball: NCAA March Madness tournament
   **Women's basketball: NCAA March Madness tournament (This year's Final Four was to be held in New Orleans)
   **Baseball season (No College World Series)
   **Softball season (No College World Series)
   **Gymnastics (No Championships)
   **Track and Field (No Championships)


      This decision comes after several professional sports Leagues announced they were suspending play.  These Leagues include, the NBA, NHL, and MLB, which has decided to cancel spring training in hopes of delaying the start of their season.
      As of now, NASCAR plans to still carry on their season without fans in attendance. 


      The XFL has yet to announce any made decision. 
      The NFL is concerned about the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft, as it is scheduled to take place in a large, public outdoor setting in Las Vegas, Nevada. 
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Courtesy of:: John Hopkins Medicine
       
          WHAT IS CORONAVIRUS?


      Coronaviruses are a type of virus. There are many different kinds, and some cause disease. A newly identified type has caused a recent outbreak of respiratory illness now called COVID-19 that started in China.
      Lauren Sauer, M.S., the director of operations with the Johns Hopkins Office of Critical Event Preparedness and Response and director of research with the Johns Hopkins Biocontainment Unit, shares information about COVID-19 and what you need to know.


        **How is COVID-19 spread?
    Recent information indicates COVID-19 may be passed from person to person. Community spread is being seen, also. Community spread means people have been infected with the virus in a particular area, including some people who are not sure how or where they became infected. COVID-19 has been detected in people throughout China and in over 100 other countries, including the United States.
    The spread of this new coronavirus is being monitored by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the World Health Organization and health organizations like Johns Hopkins across the globe. On Jan. 30, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a public health emergency.


        **How did this new coronavirus spread to humans?
    COVID-19 appeared in Wuhan, a city in China, in December 2019. Although health officials are still tracing the exact source of this new coronavirus, early hypotheses thought it may be linked to a seafood market in Wuhan, China. Some people who visited the market developed viral pneumonia caused by the new coronavirus. A study that came out on Jan. 25, 2020, notes that the individual with the first reported case became ill on Dec. 1, 2019, and had no link to the seafood market. Investigations are ongoing as to how this virus originated and spread.


        **What is the incubation period for COVID-19?
    It appears that symptoms are showing up in people within 14 days of exposure to the virus.


        **What are symptoms of COVID-19?
    COVID-19 symptoms include:
              A - Cough
              B - Fever
              C - Shortness of breath
    In rare cases, COVID-19 can lead to severe respiratory problems, kidney failure or death.


    If you have a fever or any kind of respiratory difficulty such as coughing or shortness of breath, call your doctor or a health care provider and explain your symptoms over the phone before going to the doctor’s office, urgent care facility or emergency room.
    Over the phone, be sure to tell them if you have traveled outside the country in the last 14 days, particularly to countries affected by COVID-19 (currently China, Iran, Italy, Japan and South Korea). Also, be sure to tell them if you suspect you have been close (within 6 feet) of someone who has COVID-19 for an extended period. Your health care provider or the emergency room team will recommend next steps.
    If you have a medical emergency, call 911 and let them know about your symptoms and recent travel history. For updates, see the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).