By Dana Hess
For the S.D. Newspaper Association
PIERRE — The pandemic-inspired safety protocols that high school athletes needed to adhere to last year will not be in place with the start of the fall sports seasons.
“We’re planning on moving forward as a normal year,” South Dakota High School Activities Association Executive Director Dan Swartos told the SDHSAA board of directors at its meeting on Thursday, Aug. 12.
Swartos did show the board the protocols for student athletes who test positive for COVID-19. “It’s essentially focused on how we treat those athletes that come down with COVID-19 infections.”
There are separate protocols for infected athletes who are asymptomatic, moderately ill, severely ill and those who show cardiopulmonary symptoms upon a return to exercise.
All infected athletes must isolate for 10 days in compliance with South Dakota Department of Health guidelines.
An athlete who is asymptomatic or has a mild illness is classified as having symptoms similar to the common cold, GI symptoms, loss of taste or smell and without fever or having a fever for less than two days.
In order to be cleared to return to play, the athlete must consult with their clinician, undergo cardiac testing if there are clinical concerns, must not exercise for three to five days while in isolation and use an individualized exercise progression based on symptoms.
To return to play, an athlete must have a normal COVID-19 test, fill out an SDHSAA return to play form and the school and student are charged with monitoring for new cardiopulmonary symptoms.
Characteristics of a moderate illness include a temperature of 100.4 degrees, chills, flu-like symptoms for more than two days, chest pain, labored breathing or palpitations.
In the case of moderate infection, the protocol includes a medical evaluation including consideration of an EKG, echo or troponin test before a return to exercise, no exercise for five to seven days from the onset of the infection and the moderate symptoms must be resolved prior to starting an individualized exercise progression.
For athletes with a moderate infection, a return to play form must be completed after a normal COVID-19 test.
Athletes with a severe illness or hospitalization must have a comprehensive medical evaluation with a recommended cardiology consult.
If cardiopulmonary symptoms occur when the athlete returns to exercise, the protocol recommends considering an EKG, echo and troponin test with a cardiology consult and no return to exercise until the evaluation is complete.
Swartos explained that contact tracing is left up to schools and that if the COVID situation becomes dire in South Dakota, the association can revert back the competition protocols it implemented last year.
