At the champions league match between FC liverpool and atletico madrid on 11. March more than 50.000 fans in the famous stadium of anfield. A few weeks later, hospitals in the liverpool area were filled with deaths from people infected with the corona virus.
Allegation: crowds at the game are said to have driven up corona infections in the region. This is said to have led to more death traps as a result.
EVALUATION: that the match accelerated the spread of the coronavirus is considered likely though. But there is no proof of any more deaths.
FACTS: the match was the last rough soccer game in england before public life was restricted: defending champions liverpool, with german coach jurgen klopp, lost 2:3 (1:0, 1:0) to atletico madrid (first leg: 0:1) after losing and were eliminated in the eighth finals of this year’s royal league already. Around 52.000 people witnessed the contested ruck match in the famous, packed stadium at anfield.
3000 fans had traveled from madrid for the event, although the first restrictions on public life were already in force in the spanish capital at that time. The day before, it had been decided that spectators would no longer be allowed at soccer matches in spain. A few days later, the country declared a state of alert, and play in the league was completely halted.
According to estimates from imperial college london and oxford university, spain, which has been hit particularly hard by the pandemic, had around 640 people infected at the time of the champions league match.000 infections. According to the study, around 100 people in great britain were infected with the virus.000 people infected with the coronavirus.
In a period of 25 to 35 days after the champions league match in liverpool, 41 more deaths were paid in hospitals in the area than in the same period in similar hospitals used as a comparative sample. This was reported by the newspaper "sunday times" and referred to a corresponding model calculation of the consulting firm edge health. The company is analyzing medical data on behalf of the british health service NHS.
A similar estimate was given by edge health regarding the impact of the four-day cheltenham festival, which attracted more than 250.000 visitors. The horse racing event was attended by 10. Until 13. March took place. Model calculation comes up with 37 corona deaths possibly linked to cheltenham. The area near the racecourse is said to have had the highest number of corona-related hospital admissions in the gloucestershire region in early april. This was reported by the local newspaper "gloucestershire echo" and referred to leaked official documents.
Critics have long accused the british government of responding too late to the pandemic. Weeks ago, government medical advisers were asked at a press conference whether the football match could not have contributed to the spread of the disease. At that time it was said that one had acted according to the state of knowledge at that time. It was an interesting question that should be investigated.
Liverpool city council’s public health team is currently preparing a survey commissioned by mayor joe anderson. It should clarify what impact the staging of the match in front of full crowds had on infections and deaths. There is no timetable for this yet, because for the time being they are busy coping with the pandemic, it was said. It also remains to be seen when the results will be available. It is questionable whether the study can actually prove a direct correlation.