U-17 players, staff get clean bill of health
By Nigel Simon (T&T Guardian)The T&T Under-17 football team and technical staff have been given a clean bill of health from the Ministry of Health and were allowed to return to their families yesterday, after they were deemed free of the swine flu virus. The team was quarantined at the Dr Joao Havelange Centre of Excellence on Tuesday upon arrival from Mexico City where they competed in the Concacaf Under-17 Championship without any success.
Last Thursday, the swine flu virus was detected in Mexico City and has now reached pandemic stage with cases detected in ten US cities, Spain, New Zealand, Israel,Canada, Austria, Britain and Germany with close to 200 deaths so far. In Tijuana, Mexico, T&T was beaten in all three group matches, going down 7-0 to Mexico and losing 3-0 to both Costa Rica and Guatemala.
The team and officials returned home on Tuesday afternoon aboard a Copa Airlines flight via Panama City and were kept on board the aircraft for close to one hour before they were met by Ministry of Health official. The team and officials, all equipped with protective masks were then transported from the Piarco International Airport, to the Le Sportel Inn, Macoya to be quarantined. As a precautionary measure, all the players and officials were given the PCR (Polymerese Chain reaction test) which was to determine if they had contracted the H1 N1 strain of the swine flu virus.
The test required each member of the touring party to have cotton swabs placed into their mouth. Prior to being allowed to return to their families, the team members were briefed by Ministry of Health official Dr Raved Khan while team doctor Dr Mario John was given confirmation of the results by Chief Medical Officer, Dr Anton Cumberbatch. After being allowed to leave, Anton Corneal, coach of the national Under-17 team said that all the tests done on the players came back negative from the Chief Medical Office (CMO).
“At the same time the officials of the Ministry of Health have taken the necessary contact information from all of us and are expected to do some follow up checks,” added Corneal. Team manager, Christopher Gouveia added: “The official results were all negative and the players and technical staff have all been allowed to return to their families.” Gouveia pointed out that the doctors did say that there was an incubation period of three to ten days and if any player developed any flu-like symptoms he should notify doctors as quickly as possible.
With regards to having to spend a day in isolation upon arrival in T&T from Mexico, Gouveia said the players all knew what was going to take place. “When we were in Panama City, everyone was informed that this would happen. Like everyone else we all knew the seriousness of the situation and the steps that would have to be taken. “The guys are all just happy to be getting back to their respective families. Overall I think the boys handled the entire situation pretty well under the circumstances,” Gouveia said.
Dr Joao Havelange 
, right, watches as the T&T
Under-17 football team captain Jerrel Britto,
centre, and his teammates leave the Le Sportel Inn,
Centre of Excellence, Macoya, yesterday after the
team was given a clean bill of health from the
Ministry of Health from the swine flu virus upon
arrival from Mexico City on Tuesday where they
competed in the Concacaf Under-17 Championship.
Photo: Angelo Marcelle
