NBA’s Successful Strategies to Mitigate COVID-19 Outlined in Study
The National Basketball Association (NBA) has recently been praised for its comprehensive strategies in mitigating COVID-19 exposure during the 2019-2020 season. These strategies, including the creation of a social bubble, have set a precedent for future pandemic management, according to a report published in The Journal of Applied Laboratory Medicine.
The NBA’s approach demonstrated the effectiveness of strict adherence to specific protocols in curbing disease outbreaks within a controlled environment. The NBA temporarily halted operations in March 2020 due to the onset of the pandemic and resumed the 2019-2020 season in July of the same year at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. This move allowed for the consolidation of basketball facilities, accommodation, and medical resources within an enclosed space called the “Bubble.”
The NBA’s Bubble was a pioneering effort to establish a self-contained yet fully functional campus amid the pandemic. The recently published study provides the first comprehensive documentation of the methods and protocols employed within the Bubble. Before entry, every participant had to undergo a quarantine period and test negative for COVID-19 through PCR testing. Once inside, only authorized staff were allowed to enter or exit the Bubble during the operational period, which lasted from July 1 to October 11, 2020.
Residents of the Bubble were required to provide daily updates on their symptoms, body temperature, and oxygen levels. They were also subjected to daily PCR testing, with samples processed at off-site labs. Strict physical distancing and mask-wearing were enforced at all times, with minimal exceptions. Throughout the operation of the Bubble, a total of 148,043 PCR tests were conducted among roughly 5,000 individuals, resulting in the identification of only 24 cases within the Bubble.
The daily positivity rate on campus consistently remained below 1%, even as the surrounding Orlando community experienced rates as high as 15%. This success can be attributed to the presence of 40 compliance officers who ensured that protocols were followed, as well as the availability of on-site mental health services to support players and staff dealing with the emotional strain of separation from their families.
The authors of the study emphasize that the principles followed in the NBA Bubble can be applied in settings with more limited resources. They state, “Our experience demonstrates protocols can successfully enable a closed community to function safely within a broader community with high disease prevalence, and highlighted success factors that are broadly applicable in a pandemic caused a respiratory virus.”
The NBA’s successful implementation of these strategies allowed for the conclusion of 205 games, effectively concluding the 2019-2020 NBA season. The study’s findings serve as a valuable reference for future pandemic management in sports and other sectors with similar challenges.
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