With the outbreak of the Coronavirus, the Premier League is in unchartered territory. It took the high profile cases of Mikel Arteta and Callum Hudson-Odoi before the officials jumped into action and decided to suspend the league until April 3rd. The WHO termed the virus a pandemic not too long ago. Here at The 4th Official, we take a look at the Coronavirus and the ramifications on the Premier League.
Are the player’s lives going to be under threat?
So what now? Is Arteta going to be dead? Umm no, probably not. The virus is more threatening for people with a weak immune system and senior citizens. The virus has a mortality rate of 3.4% (The Times) and the odds of surviving are much higher if you are under 50. Hence even in the worst-case scenario, there is a 97 per cent chance that even after contracting the virus, you would recover.
For comparison, Ebola had a mortality rate of around 50 percent (WHO), but it wasn’t as contagious as the Coronavirus. Also, it happened in Africa mostly, so nobody really cared. Yes, that is pathetic, but that is the reality we live in.
Cases in China and other Asian countries have shown that quite a few people have gone on to recover (Fox 10) from the Coronavirus. There is no vaccine available yet, and it could take up to a year for a proven vaccine to come in. So for now, the best advice for everyone will be- prevention is better than cure, trusting your immune system and ‘in god’s hands’.
With top league football players being in peak human condition and them having access to best medical advice and treatments, it would be highly unlikely to see any of them being critically ill. However, they would need to be isolated.
Containment is the best solution for right now, and they have been rigorously enforced in China. The daily rate of new Covid-19 infections in China is now the lowest in the world in percentage terms (The Star). Hence, suspending the league for the time being and containing public gathering seems to be the best way to move forward.
What now for the Premier League?
A lot of theories are floating around on how the season can be completed. Accepting the current league standing as it is would surely not go down well with many clubs. The most significant financial ramifications would be for the relegated clubs and any club in a relegation scrap would certainly not accept that. Watford and West Ham are only ahead on goal difference from the 18th spot.
Wolves, Arsenal, Manchester United, Tottenham and Sheffield United, are in the hunt for the fourth or even the fifth spot to gain Champions League football (if Manchester City’s ban stays). So if all 20 teams are not willing to accept their current standings, then surely Premier League cannot implement this solution of taking the current league standing as final.
Making the season void would also not go down well for quite a few Premier League clubs, especially Liverpool. Hence, we think that if the Premier League isn’t able to get everyone on board with this solution, then it cannot go ahead with it.
The best way forward
The best solution currently seems to be to push the UEFA Euros to 2021 and allowing the league that extra time to complete itself. The summer break could also be curtailed to get the new season started on time. Maybe after the suspension is over, we might see games being played in empty stadiums.
RELATED: Why Pushing Euro 2020 Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Might Be A Problem For UEFA
The dynamics with the virus though are changing with every passing day, and nobody knows whether delaying the league for a few weeks would eradicate the problem. So we are in a wait and hope for the best territory currently.
