As Chinese authorities and the World Health Organisation attempt to reduce the spread of the virus, normal life – including sport – is on hold
An outbreak of a deadly coronavirus in the city of Wuhan has placed large parts of China on lockdown and the rest of the world on high alert.
Authorities are taking measures in an attempt to contain the spread of the virus, which is mainly affecting China, with a small number cases confirmed in Japan, Singapore, Thailand, South Korea and the United States.
Cases have also been confirmed in Nepal, Canada, Australia, Germany and France.
Travel restrictions are in effect across China, particularly so in the region most affected, with Chinese officials advising people not to travel into or out of Wuhan.
How has the coronavirus affected football matches?
The outbreak of the coronavirus has had an impact on a number of football events in China, with games being moved, postponed and even cancelled.
It has been confirmed that the Chinese Super Cup clash between Guangzhou Evergrande and Shanghai Shenhua – originally scheduled to be played on February 5 – will be postponed.
The AFC Champions League is also affected, but Shanghai SIPG’s play-off match against Buriram United on January 28 went ahead behind closed doors. The AFC has notified the four Chinese teams competing in the tournament – Beijing, Shanghai Shenhua, Guangzhou Evergrande and Shanghai SIPG – that they will play their first games away from home.
The 2020 Chinese Super League season, which was due to get under way on February 22 has also been postponed indefinitely, with a decision made by the Chinese Football Association in consultation with state authorities.
The uncertainty has, naturally, had an impact on normal life and for footballers in China it has prompted speculation that it could lead to an exodus of some of the country’s star foreign players.
Women’s football qualifiers for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics involving Australia, Thailand and Chinese Taipei, which are due to be played at the beginning of February, have been moved away from China completely to Sydney. They had originally been moved from Wuhan to Nanjing, but safety concerns led to the change.
“The safety of all players, officials and fans is of paramount importance to Football Federation Australia and the Asian Football Confederation,” said FFA chairman Chris Nikou. “And we are confident we will host a successful tournament here in Sydney.”
No players based in Wuhan were selected in the China women’s squad, while those travelling were tested for the coronavirus and cleared with negative results. Nevertheless, the China team have been quarantined in a Brisbane hotel until February 5, in line with the advice that those travelling from Wuhan should self-isolate.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced that they would postpone the AFC Futsal Championship, which was due to take place in Turkmenistan between February 26 and March 8, due to worries regarding the outbreak.
They stated: “This move was taken because of concerns about the current Coronavirus situation and in order to ensure the safety and well-being of all participating teams and stakeholders.
“The AFC will continue to monitor the impact of the virus and new competition dates will be announced when the situation stabilises.”
Are other sporting events affected by coronavirus?
Chinese government officials have issued a notice that all sporting events scheduled to take place before April will be postponed indefinitely while they grapple with the issue.
The Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) has confirmed that the CBA League games from February 1 on will be postponed.
The International Olympic Committee (ICC) has cancelled Olympic boxing qualifiers that were due to take place in Wuhan.
What is coronavirus?
Coronavirus is the name for a group of viruses which includes SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome), MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome) and the common cold.
A new type of coronavirus was identified to be the cause of a number of cases of pneumonia in China on December 31, 2019. This novel coronavirus has been temporarily named ‘2019-nCoV’.
By January 29, reports revealed that there had been over 7,000 confirmed cases of the virus and the death toll had risen to 170.
What are the symptoms of coronavirus?
It is understood that the novel coronavirus causes pneumonia, with symptoms such as fever, coughs and difficulty breathing apparent.
In severe cases, the coronavirus can lead to hospitalisation or even death.
Chinese authorities have advised people not to travel to or from Wuhan and travel restrictions have been widened to include 10 cities.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued advice to the general public in an effort to curb the spread of the virus, which includes the following:
- Frequently clean hands by using alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water;
- When coughing and sneezing cover mouth and nose with flexed elbow or tissue – throw tissue away immediately and wash hands;
- Avoid close contact with anyone who has fever and cough;
- If you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing seek medical care early and share previous travel history with your health care provider;
- When visiting live markets in areas currently experiencing cases of novel coronavirus, avoid direct unprotected contact with live animals and surfaces in contact with animals;
- The consumption of raw or undercooked animal products should be avoided. Raw meat, milk or animal organs should be handled with care, to avoid cross-contamination with uncooked foods, as per good food safety practices.
Where is Wuhan?
Wuhan is the capital city of Hubei, a province in central China. It has a population of over 11 million people, making it the seventh most populous city in China.
The city straddles the famous Yangtze river and its football club, Wuhan Zall, competes in the Chinese Super League.
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