KEY POINTS

Transplant Sport is BACK running events in 2022

BTG is in Leeds July 28-31st

Feel confident as Safety is our main consideration

Appropriate COVID measures in place

Opportunity to compete and socialise with the Transplant Games Family

Thank you to all of you who participated either in person or virtually at the Transplant Sport Team Managers Meeting last Saturday in Leeds

It was a great success and demonstrated how well a hybrid meeting could work, and are very grateful to Andrew Bridge and the team from MLS for facilitating the meeting.

We had 26 TMs present at the John Charles Centre for Sport with an additional 42 joining online.

It has been a very difficult two years due to COVID restriction measures for all transplant patients and those with advanced organ failure waiting for a transplant. We realise that the physical and social isolation has taken its toll in terms of physical fitness and mental well-being.

We are now entering a new phase of COVID where the virus has become endemic and will be with us for many years in a similar way to influenza or the common cold. Fortunately, two important changes have occurred in the last 12 months: -
  1. The COVID virus has mutated into a much less serious illness which in the majority of transplant patients will cause a self-limited illness similar to a cold. It is largely only unvaccinated individuals who are developing serious life-threatening complications.
  2. A range of new treatments have been developed including antibodies and anti-viral drugs which are effective and substantially reduce the risk of hospitalisation and death in those with more serious disease.

We take the safety of all transplant and organ failure participants and supporters very seriously and can assure you that we have been very cautious in our approach to re-commencing Transplant Sport Events.

Initially we held four test events in the autumn of 2021 including 6-side football, golf and volleyball competitions as well as a swimming training day. At these events all participants were screened with a COVID PCR 48-72 hours before the event and COVID lateral flow test on the day. All tests of participants were negative, and no resultant infections reported.

The COVID lateral flow test (LFT) is now highly sensitive and has removed the requirement for PCR testing before events. Our first major event this year is the Racket Sports Day combined with a Swimming Training and Football Training weekend on March 26-27th which are now live for Registration on the TS website. We will ask participants to check their own COVID LFT the day before the event to make sure they are safe to attend and perform a second COVID LFT on the day of the event.

We will keep COVID testing under regular review but plan to continue this policy until the Spring of 2022.

It is difficult to predict the risk of COVID infection this summer at this point. However, COVID is a respiratory virus and much less likely to spread in the summer months.

We are confident that it will be possible to hold both the British Transplant Games and European Transplant Games this summer. We know that many of your team members will have been isolating for several months over the last two years and are anxious about mixing in large numbers. However, we also know that many transplant patients have safely returned to work, sports, and social activities over the last 6-12 months. We wish to be inclusive and enable as many of your team as possible to participate in Transplant Sport events in 2022 and accommodate all levels of caution, attendees at all events should work within their own comfort levels: -
  • Those most anxious could participate in outdoor events.
  • Social events will be adapted to allow social distancing.
  • We will follow all Government and Sports Authorities advice applicable at the time of the event.

We know your team members have had a tough two years and we aim to deliver a programme of sports and social events this year safely to allow the Transplant Sport family to re-connect and build lasting friendships through shared experiences and camaraderie.

Paul Harden

Chairman, Transplant Sport