International Cricket Council

MEMO
10 March 2020

ICC MEMO

MEMO HEADING
To Chief Medical Officers
From ICC Medical Advisory Committee
Number of Pages 02
Date 10 March 2020
Subject Medical Advisory - Coronavirus

About 2019 Novel Coronavirus

The 2019 Novel Coronavirus, or COVID-19, is a new respiratory virus first identified as the cause of an outbreak
of respiratory illness first detected in Wuhan, China. Early on, many of the patients in the outbreak in Wuhan,
China reportedly had some link to a large seafood and animal market, suggesting animal-to-person spread.
However, a growing number of patients reportedly have not had exposure to animal markets, indicating person-to-
person spread is occurring. It may also be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or
object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes.

The circumstances of this virus and our understanding of the infection risk is evolving daily, and individuals and
teams should check the regular WHO and National updates. Some countries are restricting travel across their
frontiers, particularly those travelling or transiting through China, Italy, Iran and South Korea.

The ICC recently postponed the Men’s Cricket World Cup Challenge League A in Malaysia owing to increasing
travel difficulties between countries and the potential uncertainty around teams returning home.

Symptoms

Symptoms include mild to severe respiratory illness with fever, persistent cough, and difficulty breathing. These
symptoms also can occur with many other common respiratory infections, such as flu.

Corona viruses cause infections ranging from the common cold to more severe respiratory infections, which can
occasionally be fatal. It has been confirmed that viral transmission from person to person may occur before
symptoms develop. These factors are facilitating the rapid international spread of the virus.

Prevention

There is currently no vaccine to prevent COVID-19 infection. The best way to prevent infection is to avoid being
exposed to this virus. Below are some recommended everyday preventive actions to help prevent the spread of
respiratory viruses.

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand
sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with sick people.
• Avoid travel if you are sick
• If you have a cough or fever, then seek medical review.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

These are everyday habits that can help prevent the spread of several viruses.

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International Cricket Council
MEMO
10 March 2020

Treatment

There is no specific antiviral treatment recommended for COVID-19 infection. People who think they may have
been exposed to COVID-19 should contact your healthcare provider immediately.

What to do if you have had close contact with someone who has COVID-19

If you have had close contact with someone who is confirmed to have, or being evaluated for, COVID-19
infection, you should:

• Monitor your health starting from the day you first had close contact with the person and continue for 14
days after you last had close contact with the person. Watch for these signs and symptoms:
o Fever. Take your temperature twice a day.
o Coughing.
o Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing.
o Other early symptoms to watch for are chills, body aches, sore throat, headache, diarrhea,
nausea/vomiting, and runny nose.
• If you develop fever or any of these symptoms, call your healthcare provider right away.
• Before going to your medical appointment, be sure to tell your healthcare provider about your close
contact with someone who is confirmed to have, or being evaluated for, COVID-19 infection. This will
help the healthcare provider’s office take steps to keep other people from getting infected. Ask your
healthcare provider to call the local or state health department.
• If you do not have any symptoms, you can continue with your daily activities, such as going to work,
school, or other public areas.

Risk Assessment

Based on the World Health Organization’s recent declaration, this is a public health emergency of international
concern. It is a rapidly evolving situation and the risk assessment may change daily.

The risk to individuals is dependent on exposure. COVID-19 can be more serious in older adults and those with
chronic medical conditions. Travelling via airports and airplanes increases the risk of airborne viral transmission.
Travelling to certain areas where there is ongoing widespread transmission increases the risk significantly.

Confirmed 2019-nCoV cases globally

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