IIRM and World Athletics set up new taskforce

AIMS partner IIRM (International Institute for Race Medicine) and World Athletics have set up an “Outbreak Prevention Taskforce” which has developed the following objectives:

• Disseminate recommendations to prevent disease outbreaks in mass gatherings

• Provide race organisers and sport governing bodies with guidelines, including a risk assessment tool dedicated to determining the outbreak risk, mitigation plans, and suggestions of contingency plans

• Advise mass races, organisers, and sport governing bodies on how to plan a return to normal activities in the aftermath of the COVID-19 outbreak or similar future situations.

• Collect and analyse data to determine if COVID-19 survivors have increased risk of developing illness or injury when participating in endurance events and/or vigorous activity and amend best practices based on this analysis.

“The taskforce is made up of medical professionals from the leading endurance sports who are qualified to discuss and address health and safety in staging mass participation endurance events once the current pandemic begins to wane,” said John Cianca MD, IIRM Board Chair and Medical Director of the Houston Marathon since 1998.

“The Outbreak Prevention Taskforce will hold its first meeting during the week of 20 April with the aim of producing guidelines as soon as reasonably possible.”