Sport can come back, but without fans, says top US doctor Anthony Fauci
- American health and infectious disease specialist says games can go ahead without fans
- US president Donald Trump says he is eager for sports to come back as he looks to restart American economy
The top US health and infectious disease specialist said the key to reopening professional sports leagues in America is to have the athletes play games in empty stadiums.
Dr Anthony Fauci, who is helping to coordinate the US response to the global coronavirus pandemic, said reliable antibody testing and fast results are also crucial to the return of sports.
“There’s a way of doing that,” Fauci told US Snapchat show Good Luck America. “Nobody comes to the stadiums. Put (athletes) in big hotels, wherever you want to play.
“Keep them very well-surveilled, but have them tested like every week and make sure they don’t wind up infecting each other or their families, and just let them play the season out.”
Professional sports leagues are in gridlock due to the pandemic that has so far killed nearly 28,000 Americans.
The NBA is pondering a similar model for getting their 2019-20 season restarted in either Las Vegas or the Bahamas.
