Possibilities of infecting coronaviruses through sports equipment; Cricket case study

A review of the literature on the role of foms in the spread of coronaviruses provided a framework for a framework used for qualitative analysis of a cricket case study in which equipment is shared and moved around, and to identify possible mitigation strategies. A number of pathways were identified that could theoretically allow the coronavirus to be transmitted from an infected person to an infected seamless person through the phomitites of common or personal devices, or both. Eighteen percent of possible phomite-based interactions were found to be necessary for gaming, including any contact with another person’s devices. Six possibilities to interrupt the transmission route were identified, including a recommendation to screen participants for symptoms before playing. Social distance between participants and avoidance of unnecessary surface contact offer two possibilities; first, to avoid exposure of the devices to infected airway droplets, and second, to prevent non-infectious participants from touching potential fomes. Disinfection of hands and disinfection of equipment offer two other possibilities by directly inactivating the coronavirus. A sixth possible interruption is to prevent players from touching the mucous membranes with their hand. Although potential phomite transmission pathways were identified, the evidence suggests that viral load is significantly reduced during surface transfer. Mitigation strategies could further reduce potential forms, suggesting that, for comparison, the risk of direct airborne transmission is higher in cricket.