Return to Physical Activity After Covid-19 Infection

Aim

These guidelines provide information for parents, students, and staff to ensure the safe return to physical activity for all students following a COVID-19 infection. This includes sport, activities, and camps.

Rationale

COVID-19 infection can lead to significant pathology involving the cardiac, pulmonary, neurological, renal, and clotting systems, therefore a gradual return to physical activity is recommended.

After recovering from symptoms following a COVID-19 infection, evidence to date indicates people can take around one to two weeks to reach maximal exertion levels. Individuals are recovering at different rates, therefore it is not possible to have a blanket rule about return to activity. It is important, however that parents keep the School informed about their son’s condition.

There is NO evidence that maximal exercise in the first few weeks post COVID is dangerous but rather it may impact short-term performance and possibly delay recovery.

Action

1. Boys diagnosed with COVID-19 are firstly managed by the Student Services Co-Ordinator in the Senior School, and Leadership Team in the Preparatory School via the COVID-19 register.
2. Information provided by the boy’s parents, via the HOH/Tutor in the Senior School and Classroom Teacher in the Preparatory School, on or before the students return, will help ascertain the:
   • severity of the infection
   • relevant past medical history
   • presence of any current symptoms
3. All information is shared with appropriate staff to ensure students returning from COVID-19 are easily identified and supported in their return to physical activity.
4. When necessary, a step-by-step return to physical activity similar to that for concussion will be suggested to parents. Each step is slowed down if any of the following result:
   • excessive fatigue
   • elevated heart rate (beyond what is expected for that level of exertion)
   • chest pain (requires medical review)
   • excessive shortness of breath

It is recommended that parents seek medical attention if any of the above develop and persist.

Roles and Responsibilities

	PREPARATORY SCHOOL	SENIOR SCHOOL
1	Parents Informs School son has tested positive to COVID-19	Parents Informs School son has tested positive to COVID-19
2	Leadership Team Confirms details in email sent by parents. ·   Update spreadsheet ·   Identify and communicate with impacted staff members ·   Communicate with parents, to confirm details, isolation period and learning arrangements ·   Request parents keep School informed about son’s progress and ability to return safely to physical activity	Student Services Co-ordinator Confirms details in the email sent by parents ·   Update spreadsheet ·   Identify and communicate with impacted staff members ·   Communicate with parents to confirm details, isolation period and learning arrangements ·   Request parents keep School informed about son’s progress and ability to return safely to physical activity
3	Parents Update Classroom Teacher on or before son’s return to School and physical activity	Parents Update HOH on or before son’s return to School and physical activity. (Year Group Co-ordinators to assist Boarding families)
4	Classroom Teacher Provide before and after school activities, PE, Sport, any Co-Curricular staff and Health Centre with information to help ensure impacted students are identified and supported	HOH Provide activities, PE, Sport, any Co-Curricular staff and Health Centre with information to ensure impacted students are identified and supported
5	Co-Curricular and PE staff Monitor and manage student return to activity carefully and provide feedback to Classroom Teacher	Co-Curricular and PE staff Monitor and manage student return to activity carefully and provide feedback to HOH

An example of a guided return to Sport:

STAGE	ACTIVITY	AIM OF STAGE
STAGE  1:   No activity	Complete physical rest until fully recovered with no symptoms	Recovery
STAGE 2:   Return to light aerobic exercise	2 x 15minutes of light aerobic activity (walking, swimming, and stationary cycling)	Gently increase heart rate
STAGE 3:  Sport-specific activity	Participate in normal sport training activities where possible	Increasing duration and intensity of activity
STAGE  4:  Return to sport	Play PSA Fixtures N.B. Coaches/managers to monitor carefully E.g. – manage minutes	Return to play

Points of contact for further guidance:

Day Boys – Preparatory School – Class Teacher

Day Boys – Senior School – Tutor/HOH

Boarders – Year Group Co-ordinator / Director of Boarding

Health Centre staff – 9442 1700     health@ccgs.wa.edu.au

Head of Health and Physical Education, Luke Farmer – 9442 1745     lfarmer@ccgs.wa.edu.au

Director of Sport, Anthony Lynch – 9442 1736     alynch@ccgs.wa.edu.au

Director of  Kooringal, Ryan Myles – 9538 1061     rmyles@ccgs.wa.edu.au

Director of  Planning and Co-Curricular, Jamie Foster – 9442 1514     jfoster@ccgs.wa.edu.au