“Players are the mirror of society”

s+: What are the tasks of the medical commission? Christian Thuile: Our central task as the medical commission of the ICE Hockey League is to guarantee the health of the players, the support staff, the referees and the employees in the ice rinks as well as possible in addition to the regular running of the games. The safety of everyone involved is always our top priority. The medical commission provides advice to the league management. We make recommendations to the league, which then discusses them with those responsible at the individual clubs and implements them. Especially with regard to the current corona pandemic, we have created some basic rules for the league: For example, how often individual teams should be tested, when this should be done or how the tests should be carried out. Of course, it is difficult to always do justice to everyone's interests, but our decisions are always based on monitoring the current infection situation in the different countries and teams. Of course, we also have to take into account the different conditions and laws in the participating countries and adapt to the laws of the local authorities, because they are of course always the highest authority. How stressful have the last few days and weeks been? If you have observed the developments in infection rates over the last few weeks, then you can imagine how difficult it is to keep the league running at a time like this. We didn't really know what to expect either. The last few days have been quite strenuous and, above all, time-consuming. The atmosphere was always respectful when dealing with each other, but sometimes quite heated. There were video or telephone conferences several times a week, sometimes even more often a day, as more and more teams were becoming infected. What are these video or telephone conferences about? Mostly it was about whether a team could play in a game or not. Normally in the ICEHL, if 4 players on a team have tested positive for the coronavirus, it is still possible to play if these cases do not all occur at the same time. Last Sunday, for example, 4 players from Villacher SV were suddenly and simultaneously infected with the virus in the morning hours before the game against Znojmo and tested positive in the antigen test. We decided to postpone the game because there was an acute infection situation. The fact that we were right with this decision was evident the next day from the increasing number of infections within the Villach team. The HCB Südtirol game also had to be canceled at short notice early in the morning on Sunday. Since there were already more than 5 players in the KAC, there was no doubt about the cancellation, because if more than 4 players in a team are affected, the game will be automatically postponed. The coronavirus recently hit many ICEHL clubs. Are you surprised about this? I'm not at all surprised by this, just expected it. We observed the progress in other countries and knew that it would only be a matter of time before the virus spread in the ICEHL. After all, the players are just the mirror of society. It was also expected that there would be more infected people after the Christmas holidays, as there were more contacts within families and circles of friends, but also because the pandemic has accelerated. As a medical commission, we must always take national differences into account in this cross-border championship and adhere to the laws of the participating countries. This can get quite complicated because the regulations for dealing with Corona are constantly changing everywhere. At Laibach, for example, a single player was recently corona-positive and had to go into isolation, while the rest of the team was quarantined. This is what the Slovenian government plans to do. Although the team would have been eligible to play according to our recommendations, as fewer than 4 players tested positive, all of Laibach's games had to be postponed. How many players are vaccinated in the ICEHL? In the ICEHL, almost all players have now been vaccinated or have recovered. A fact that we have always attached great importance to. Of course, the vaccination status is not the same for all teams. Recently, a striking number of team sports players have been affected by Covid-19. Are the clubs testing too much? I am definitely a supporter of the many tests. And I would also like to explain why I am convinced of this. If the players were in a real “bubble” with no contact with the outside world, then so many tests would certainly not be necessary, especially as long as the players are fit and healthy. But we must not forget one thing: the players have families, relatives and friends, travel to many cities, meet other teams and therefore they also have a responsibility for their fellow human beings. Family members may also include high-risk patients. The more testing is carried out in ice hockey, the sooner a source of infection can be contained, the lower the risk that someone will suffer health damage and the greater the chance that the championship can be held. Even if most players fortunately survive Corona well, Covid should never be underestimated - not even the fittest among the players. And let's not forget the Long Covid thing: this can have a significant impact on a player's career. There is a strict protocol for testing procedures in ICEHL. As a rule, players are tested 3 times a week if a team has not yet had a positive case. If there are positive cases, the testing strategy naturally changes to daily controls (PCR and antigen). What is different about the Omicron variant than, for example, the Delta variant? The Omicron variant is very contagious and spreads 70 times as fast as the Delta variant. The symptoms, on the other hand, are manageable: As a rule, there is only a slight runny nose or a slight sore throat. However, the Omicron variant does not stop at vaccinated and recovered players and can of course cause complications in exceptional cases. HCB Südtirol is one of the few ICEHL clubs that has so far been spared positive players. How do you explain that? Basically, it's probably just a matter of time. But we prepared well, as best we could. We circulate with FFP-2 masks, adhere to “AHA rules” wherever possible and every player really does this out of his own interest, as it is about his job and his health as an athlete. I was personally able to see how strong the will of the players is to finish this championship successfully because all the players were boosted early where it was legally possible. I am convinced that early boosting - i.e. refreshing the vaccination after just 4 months - currently offers the best possible health protection for the players. Of course, I am aware that the virus will probably not stop at the Bolzano cabin. But we can at least hope for mild symptoms and a quick return of the players to the ice. And boosting brings something else, and this is very important for the boys, especially morally: it makes many quarantine measures much easier. Wouldn't it have been better to briefly interrupt the championship? I don't think much of an interruption to the championship. Especially in times like these with limited spectator numbers, clubs often lack money, which is why television and the associated advertising at least bring visibility to the sport and its sponsors. An interruption - or even the cancellation of the championship - could cause insoluble financial emergencies for many clubs. But that's not my area of expertise. Although 5 games were canceled last Sunday, the one game between Vienna and Graz was symbolic that the ICEHL is still alive. The goal must be to play as many games as possible. This is the only way to finish the championship. It is likely that 80 percent or the equivalent of 42 games will be played by all 13 teams by the end of February. The first teams such as Innsbruck and Fehervar have resumed training and returned to everyday league life. Is the worst over? I think not for all teams. After all, in some places this Corona wave will not reach its peak until the end of January. That's why everyday league life will look like it has in the last few weeks and some game cancellations will probably continue to be the order of the day. For some teams, and I hope so, the worst is probably already over. What does the procedure look like for an infected player: How long does it take until he can return to the ice and play? If a vaccinated player in South Tyrol has tested positive and has no symptoms, then he can be cleared after 7 days using an antigen or PCR test, like any other citizen. However, he is only allowed to return to the ice and engage in high-performance sports after the sports medical examination, so that any risks such as myocarditis caused by a Covid illness can be ruled out.

ICE Regular Season ICE	SP	TV	P
1. Klagenfurt	47	183:101	102
2. Fehervar	46	146:126	89
3. Salzburg	46	142:107	87
4. HCB South Tyrol	46	137:125	76
5. Linz	46	146:116	75
6. Villach	46	155:136	74
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“Players are the mirror of society”

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