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Chris Ramsey Letter Regarding Return To Play In Washington State

March 16, 2021
 
The Honorable Jay Inslee
 
SUBJ: RETURN WATER POLO TO WASHINGTON STATE POOLS
 
Dear Governor Inslee,
 
High school water polo competitions are mostly played in heavily chlorinated water regardless if they are indoor or outdoor, where the players are mostly submerged. Their faces are thoroughly doused every few seconds, and are often underwater. Unfortunately, Washington state has simply lumped water polo into the HIGH RISK contact sport category without any additional consideration regarding the environment in which it is played. Evidence from other states and abroad demonstrates that COVID-19 is highly unlikely to be transmitted during games or practices. This misclassification of Water Polo threatens the opportunity for our athletes to have a 2021 season. Please note that The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Sports Medicine Advisory Committee classifies Water Polo as a "Moderate-Risk" sport.   
  1. Experiences in Other High Risk States. High school seasons were played in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Texas, mostly in smaller indoor pools. Nationwide, tens of thousands of athletes have played water polo without a single reported transmission. As a result, Illinois and Ohio will permit water polo for spring indoor seasons. Florida is now running its Water Polo season, which culminates in Regional Semi-Finals, and a state-wide tournament at the end of March. The Florida High School Sports Association developed "Sport Contest Specific Considerations" for a variety of sports; the Water Polo section provides modifications for out-of-pool issues only, leaving all in-water activity unchanged (https://fhsaa.com/documents/2021/1/6//SMAC_COVID_19_Spring_Safety_Considerations.pdf?id=916). As well, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) classifies Water Polo as a Moderate-Risk Sport (https://www.nfhs.org/media/3812287/2020-nfhs-guidance-for-opening-up-high-school-athletics-and-activities-nfhs-smac-may-15_2020-final.pdf).
  2. International Scientific Studies. Italy was hardest hit by COVID's initial impact. Its oldest technical university, Polytechnic Institute of Turin, issued a 400-page study of 387 sports (https://figest.it/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Rapporto-LO-SPORT-RIPARTE-IN-SICUREZZA.pdf). Water polo was the safest team sport. Similarly, the Spanish Swimming Federation issued a technical paper arguing, "A well-maintained swimming pool is sanitary safe" from COVID-19. The Dutch University Medical center of Ultrecht provided evidence that chlorine inactivated COVID-19. Swimming Canada tracked in total 282,000 individual swim training sessions without a single reported pool transmission and the New Jersey Swim Safety Alliance reported 44 indoor facilities serving 212,641 patrons in indoor pools with zero infections in these facilities (https://swimswam.com/updated-info-whats-known-about-chlorines-impact-on-coronavirus/).
  3. CDC Guidance. "There is no evidence that COVID-19 can be spread to humans through the use of swimming pools…or aquatic play areas."
  4. WHO Guidance. "There is limited risk of significant microbial contamination and illness in a well-managed pool or similar environment with an adequate residual disinfectant concentration."
  5. Chlorine Gas. The effect of chlorine is not limited to the water. Droplets and gas disinfect the surface of the water column, according to the British Sports Medicine Journal and National Institute of Health.
  6. Travel Tournaments. Indoor youth tournaments in Utah and Texas have hosted more than five thousand athletes this winter with no reported transmissions. Washington state athletes have taken part in these tournaments, with no COVID-19 transmission.
  7. Studies show that treated pools sanitize the air above them. The chlorine-by-products we smell in air above pool water may not be great for humans, but these chlorine-by-products disinfect COVID-19.  Teams in the PNW have had swimmers who tested positive for COVID-19, with NO transmission among teams/teammates in the pool. When swimming or playing Water Polo, faces are often submerged, and athletes experience significant rinsing of the mouth and nose, as well as dilution of saliva (think gargling with chlorinated water) while in the pool. Thus, droplets expelled through aquatic activities involve large, inactivated droplets. Please consider the two links below, one an assessment of air and water contamination by disinfection by-products, and one an analysis by a coach and Chemical Engineer:
Other states and countries have concluded that youth sport games are uncorrelated to COVID hospitalizations. The risks are outside the water. Governor Inslee, if you open the sport, operational risks will be mitigated, the looming destruction Washington's aquatic ecosystem can be avoided, and our mentally exhausted, isolated athletes will return to thrive in home waters.
 
We look forward to working with you to create a safe environment so that our athletes can participate in a successful 2021 water polo season.
 
Sincerely,                                                      
                                                                                                                                              
Christopher Ramsey
Chief Executive Officer of USA Water Polo

&

Kristin Gellert
PNWH Zone Board Vice Chair
Head Coach, Bainbridge Island Water Polo Club
Head Coach, Bainbridge Island High School Water Polo Teams
 
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