“The coronavirus is not a fiction, but a really serious disease”

The head of Shakhtar’s medical department, Dmitry Skibinsky, on the Great Football program spoke about the damage to Viktor Kovalenko, the match with Real Madrid and the coronavirus pandemic.

– The situation with the coronavirus in Shakhtar remains difficult. In addition, the team’s leading scorer, Viktor Kovalenko, was injured. What about him? Will you fly to Madrid?

– Vitya passed a medical exam. An MRI was performed. There is slight damage to the thigh muscles. We will try to prepare it, it seems insignificant.

– 9 infected footballers and the same number of club employees. This information was released by the club on the eve of the Ukrainian national team matches. As a step?

– According to UEFA protocol, before national team matches, players are tested. Pyatov, Stepanenko, and two employees tested positive. The next day, we ran additional tests on the entire team to identify potential patients. But all the tests were negative. A week later, after another test, 9 more players and 9 club employees were identified. We did the necessary tests before the Champions League game and all the results are negative. Even those that were positive on the 8th.

– When you get to Madrid, there will be tests again, right?

– Spain does not require tests the day before the game. Only in Germany such rules. This test is sufficient, it must be done no later than three days before the game.

– If a soccer player feels bad in isolation. What should you do?

– We are in control of the situation. We do a CT scan of the lungs and see that there are no pulmonary or heart complications. Even with negative tests, the players do not return to training in the general group.

– What is the treatment to alleviate these symptoms?

– The treatment is now in accordance with the protocol of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, all this is symptomatic in mild degrees of manifestation. Thank goodness we don’t have severe grades.

– How does pneumonia occur without symptoms? I heard that a person can walk, walk, rest, and feel nothing.

“That is why it is called” atypical viral pneumonia. ” Most do not have characteristic symptoms: fever, shortness of breath, etc. And if the patient has not performed a CT scan and does not know it, then he walks calmly until he begins to choke. It can only be detected on CT.

– What can you advise our viewers?

– If you do a CT scan immediately after the test in the absence of symptoms, you will also have nothing and will assume that you are completely healthy. A certain time must pass, 5-7 days.

– Even if the test is negative, is it worth doing a CT scan periodically?

– Not.

– It is generally accepted among athletes that strong immunity is a barrier to coronavirus. This is true?

– Yes, everything is much easier for them.

– Do the precautions they write about that help or is it all useless?

– In fact, only they help. Keep your distance, wear a mask, this is not fiction. This is the only thing that helps.

– According to your version, we will all get sick sooner or later, right?

– I do not know. There are always lucky ones.

– Did you ask about the status of Sergio Ramos? Will it play?

– Although there is no exact information, they do not share it.

– Which of the Shakhtar players had a severe coronavirus?

– I cannot share this information, it is a medical secret. But there are a couple of people who really felt the symptoms, they had a high fever. At the moment they are doing well, but it will be delayed in terms of recovery and return to the general group.

– How much does the atmosphere change in the team when people understand that they can infect each other?

– Changes. Players are becoming more and more responsible.

– David Khocholava and Manor Solomon left for the location of their teams. Did you keep in touch with the Georgian and Israeli associations?

– Insurance. We are obliged, according to the UEFA protocol, to share data not only with the doctors of the national teams and national teams, but also with the local health authorities. We warn them that there are such or such cases, and they make a decision.

– What are your wishes for footballers and viewers: what is better to do and what not to do?

– Stay healthy, keep your distance and believe that the coronavirus is not a fiction, but a really serious disease.