COVID-19 and tournaments (MOD EDIT: NO CORONAVIRUS DISCUSSIONS. KEEP RESPONSES ON TOPIC)

Application deadlines for some summer tournaments are approaching and I am curious how some on this forum are thinking about the COVID-19 situation in their tournament scheduling and travel plans.

We have already committed to at least one out of state event that requires air flight, and were thinking of the IMG/Callaway Worlds back to back in July, but are now starting to get concerned due to the recent CA state of emergency announcement.

Will COVID-19 significantly change your plans this coming season (and thereafter)?

Coronavirus also affects the world of golf

Lately there is no talk of anything other than Coronavirus, that disease that has been spreading throughout the world for a few weeks and that, apart from affecting several thousand people, is forcing to suspend numerous events as a precaution.

In the case of golf, several professional tournaments, both male and female, have been canceled, especially those that were going to be played in Asia, a continent where the Coronavirus began to spread.

The latest news that affects our sport is the cancellation of the Bonallack Trophy and the Patsy Hankins Trophy, male and female tournaments respectively that every two years face the best amateur players in Asia against the best in Europe.

This year it was going to take place at the end of April (23-25) in the wonderful Resort of La Manga and under the auspices of the Royal Spanish Golf Federation, but the EGA (European Golf Association) and the APGC (Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation) have agreed that it is best to cancel this edition to avoid problems with this virus.

It is a real shame, since for this edition three Spaniards had been selected, of which two were from Madrid, the brothers Eugenio and Carolina López-Chacarra, who together with the Catalan Eduard Rouseaud were going to defend the colors of Europe in this prestigious competition purest Ryder Cup style.

Both brothers are among the 50 best amateurs in the world, and their great performances in recent months have not gone unnoticed by the European selection committee of both tournaments, and although it is not going to play, it is an honor to have two Madrid players representing to our Federation in an event like this.

Surely if they continue playing just as well as until now, it will not be the only call they receive for tournaments of this caliber, and hopefully they can be compensated soon not to play these Bonallack and Patsy Hankis Trophy.https://www.fedgolfmadrid.com/noticia/el-coronavirus-tambien-afecta-al-mundo-del-golf/11537

Not super concerned about it right now but the hysteria is real. So many of my clients are scrambling to implement what I've been telling them for months now.

We are ready for tournaments.

We register for all the worlds (IMG, FCG, USKG). I’m a bit concerned to be honest. 1000+ kids from over 50 countries all together on opening day...

COVID-19: U.S. at a Glance* 3/5/20

Total cases: 99

Total deaths: 10

States reporting cases: 13

36 Cases in California... again, we excel past all you guys.

I am more worried about the flu.

Amen.

I'm in the Uk and the hysteria is crazy, in the Uk we have had 3 people die in total so far, an ill woman in her 70's, an ill man in his 80's, and an ill man in his 60's

If your over the age of 60 and quite ill then please be careful

If not then if you get it your basically going to get flu like symptoms, so Flu then like you have probably got at least once a year all of your life

The scary bit about all this is the scare mongering

As of Mar. 8, 2020, the flu is showing much more of an impact on Americans than COVID-19. You can find up-to-date information on COVID-19 at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Just saying!

Not only are the death rates higher than for influenza, but unless you take aggressive action you are very likely to come into contact with the virus once it reaches a critical mass in the community.

There's a vaccine for the flu, and a lot of people get the flu shot every year. So the probability of mass infection from influenza is minimal and almost impossible.

There is no vaccine for COVID-19, so theoretically everyone could get it (unless extreme draconian measures are taken, which seems unlikely in the US). Hence there will be rapid spread, which will force people to change their behaviors and governments to take aggressive action to contain the virus.

While this is true, the CDC hasn't gotten the vaccine for the strain of Flu correct in years. I have had a flu shot once in my life and have never gotten the flu. Just because you are vaccinated doesn't mean you won't get it either.

WASH YOUR HANDS.... A LOT!!

So what brave parents on here would let their kids walk alongside the South Korea, China or Italian group of kids at the Parade of Nations right now? They have all just spent the better part of a day on a plane that recirculates its air with 200+ other people from the region and the virus can take 48 to 72 hours before showing symptoms.

Here's the thing about the flu and flu shots. There are four different strains of the flu and what most people get during the winter months is Flu virus A. Now, you'd think they could just make a vaccine for that strain and we'd be good but you'd be wrong. Within the Flu version A there are about 20 different strains and 10 sub strains. The CDC does its best to predict which strain is coming early in the season and starts production on protecting the population on four or five of them well before flu season hits. Now we're sitting at something like 30 different strains that can infect you but every year when the CDC makes their game plan there's always an outlier that creeps in. However, since you theoretically have been getting your flu shot every year you should be protected against many many strains over time BUT... vaccines wear off over time so you should continue to get your flu shots every year.

AND... getting a flu shot will never give you the flu. If you feel like you're coming down with the flu shortly after getting a flu shot it's because you ALREADY HAD IT. The flu shot will do virtually nothing for you at this point other than help build up an immunity to the other strains.

At first glance there doesn't seem to be a huge impact on kids, with no fatalities and no serious health impact thus far. But if kids are infected and show weak or even no symptoms, they almost certainly will NOT be tested for the virus in the US, and thus are much more likely to pass on to others who are elderly or have pre-existing conditions.

If those people catch COVID-19 the death rate is extremely high.

I am concerned about my kids getting it, not because they will die, but because they may infect their elderly grandparents and relatives, who are extremely susceptible.

I am glad to be in a forum of people who understand COVID and not having a reactionary mass hysteria being created out there. Here are some facts that may help alleviate some concerns:

It is more deadly than the regular flu: False. This is comparing apples to oranges. With the regular flu, anyone can be tested. With COVID 19 there's strict criteria (although changing) set forth by the CDC. These include foreign travel and must have had traveled (also changing because of the community acquired). Hence you have a smaller denominator for the COVID 19 cases. Previously only the CDC ran the test, now changing as we are shifting to a more proactive surveillance vs reactive. Much like the regular flu it strikes the elderly and patients' with predisposing factors. Clinical Symptoms: Fever (83-98%); Cough (46-82%) SOB (31%). (Lancet)There are currently no treatment but investigatory drugs include corticosteroids, Lopinavir/ritonavir Remdesvir Continue to practice good hand hygiene, stay home if sick.

I agree with all points except #1. I think almost everyone agrees it is more deadly than the flu, even taking the most conservative assumptions.

There are countries where almost everyone is getting tested, and the number of deaths divided by total confirmed cases is significantly higher than flu mortality rate.

That doesn't even include people who are confirmed cases but whose status has not been determined (i.e. they have neither recovered nor died yet).

If this gets bigger by the summer will be interesting to see what USKG and other groups say and do, not sure I would attend parade of nations right now if worlds was next week. A friend of ours who is going to Augusta for DCP got an email about the situation ect ect. Its on the radar. I live in Austin and they just canceled south by southwest one of the biggest events in our area over major companies amazon, Facebook apple pulling out. If it continues on its path it could get very interesting.

Influenza kills up to 80k people a year and it’s at about 18k this season. The coronavirus isn’t near that level yet. https://www.google.com/amp/s/losangeles.cbslocal.com/2020/03/06/dr-drew-coronavirus-interview/amp/

COVID-19: U.S. at a Glance* 3/5/20

Total cases: 99

Total deaths: 10

States reporting cases: 13

36 Cases in California

COVID-19: U.S. At A Glance* 3/9/20

Total cases: 423

Total deaths: 19

States reporting cases: 35 (includes District of Columbia)

CA: 110

WA: 136

Four days and CA has 100 more cases reported. The rate is exponential at this point.

That's to be predicted as CDC is loosening the criteria for testing. We will see more. That is a good thing as more proactive surveillance is occurring. We know there's mild cases that doesn't need to be hospitalize hence loosening the criteria will provide us with a larger denominator versus the current denominator of specific criteria. Also to note that cases in California includes cruise ships that might not necessarily have been community acquired but being a point of landing/port we get the credit.

It will be classic at the parade with everyone wearing those masks in 100* weather and humidity.

technically those masks don't prevent you from getting one...

That's with vaccination and Tamiflu.

I live in the San Francisco Bay Area metro. The fear and panic are real. Golf, being an outdoor sports and a non-contact sports, is least impacted. Nevertheless, I do think golf organizers across the board should be conscious with their decision making. After all, unhealthy things bound to happen if you pack tens of thousands of spectators onto a golf course.

All industries are caught between a rock and hard place. I sincerely hope the situation will be stabilized within a month.

Sorry, I don't have anything tangible to offer. Just a very sad sad situation.

Flights to RDU are pretty cheap right now if anyone wants to head out to Pinehurst for a practice round.

assuming it's a seasonal bug then golf season should be ok (hopeful thinking) It could recur in the fall though.

Did anyone else's Netflix recommendations have Outbreak with Dustin Hoffman on it last night or was it just me?

Seems like panic is now just starting in youth sports, as end of season championships and tournaments are being cancelled and all school-related spring break team trips also cancelled.

The California cases don't include the 21 confirmed cases on the cruise ship parked in the harbor.