May 29, 2020 - Health

NCAA outlines plan to get athletes back to campus

A poster of a man dunking a basketball next to two glass doors

The College Basketball Experience on March 26 in Kansas City, Kansas. Photo: Jamie Squire/Getty Images

The NCAA released guidelines on Friday that aim to help schools safely bring student athletes back to college campuses.

Why it matters: Schools across the U.S. are prepping for football players to return as early as June 8, after the Southeastern Conference green-lit workouts and team activities at the discretion of individual universities.

Catch up quick: The NCAA proposes that athletes should not return to campus without confirmation that they have not faced "high-risk" exposure to the coronavirus for at least two weeks.

  • If the students travel to campus by bus or air, they should self-quarantine for at least seven days.
  • Before returning to campus, students should be without COVID-19 symptoms for at least two weeks.
  • Students and athletic staff should hold daily self-health checks, the NCAA suggests.

Between the lines: The NCAA points out that young people are less likely to die or experience complications from the virus than older Americans, but notes that asymptomatic infections are still common.

  • The CDC is trying to figure out why some children under 21 are more vulnerable to the virus, as some young people in the U.S. and Europe have experienced a severe inflammatory illness that the WHO says, "may be related to COVID-19."

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