Texas high school athletes who test for COVID need doctor’s OK for return, UIL says
High school athletes who test positive for COVID-19 will need to be cleared by their physician before they can return, the UIL Medical Advisory Committee announced during a Friday morning conference call.
High school sports have started to return in Class 4A and below. The volleyball season for 4A-1A begins on Monday while cross country and team tennis starts Aug. 17. Football teams, which started with helmets only, can practice in full pads during the week of Aug. 10, hold its only scrimmage during the week of Aug. 17 and play its first game Aug. 27-29.
Class 6A and 5A can start with helmets-only practices on Sept. 7.
Dr. Albert Hergenroeder, a sports medicine specialist in Houston who sits on the Medical Advisory Committee, suggested students that show coronavirus symptoms should see their physician for COVID-19 testing.
“People that are going to a drive-thru and paying for COVID-19 testing are not doing what the CDC is recommending. They need to see their physician,” Hergenroeder said. “A lot of questions need to be referred back to the CDC. At some point, people have to trust what the CDC is saying despite its criticisms. The CDC still has the last word. There are a lot of good scientists at the CDC.”
The committee discussed the impact of the coronavirus for 15 minutes before voting unanimously to approve the motion. Some committee members were concerned that students would be participating in athletics while learning online because school officials did not feel in-person classes would be safe.
The UIL has said the decision to continue with high school sports is up to the school districts.
“Bringing 1,000 kids indoors for eight hours with the entire high school staff ... breathing recycled air, that is a whole set of challenges,” said UIL deputy director Jamey Harrison. “Bringing 60, 70, 80 kids to an outdoor practice for two hours or 20 volleyball girls and two coaches in a gym ... that still presents challenges, but nowhere near as challenging as bringing in the entire school community for an entire day.
“The UIL doesn’t justify that. That’s a decision for the local school board, local leadership and if they feel they can’t justify it, then they don’t have sports. That’s a decision they make, not a decision we make for them.”
This story was originally published August 7, 2020 at 9:05 AM.
