Dan O鈥機onnell has started each day the past five months with the same, sobering routine.
鈥淚 wake up and see the meetings I have and what kind of webinars I have to educate myself on every new aspect of COVID,鈥� said O鈥機onnell, Kansas Wesleyan鈥檚 Head Athletic Trainer.
Before March, O鈥機onnell鈥檚 job was mostly similar to what he had done his entire career, the last six as head trainer at 黑料不打烊. Help Coyote student-athletes maintain their health, treat them when they were hurt, guide them through rehabilitation, serve as a sounding board and quasi-counselor/psychologist.
He continues to perform those duties, but his role has changed in ways he never could have imagined since March, when the COVID-19 pandemic began his relentless trek across the country and continues unabated today.
For O鈥機onnell and trainers across the nation at every level in every athletic endeavor, the virus has ushered in an entirely new ballgame.
鈥淚 never, in my wildest dreams, ever thought I鈥檇 have to figure how to navigate athletics during a pandemic,鈥� O鈥機onnell said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been a completely new experience, a very challenging experience.
鈥淲hen I was in school we took a general class where you learned your basic medical stuff 鈥� basic illnesses and sickness. But we never really touched much on pandemics and stuff like that. It鈥檚 all been new.鈥�
Since the pandemic began O鈥機onnell and assistants Elizabeth Ketchum and Christian Galindo have become students again in an attempt to learn all they can about the virus.
鈥淛ohns Hopkins (University) had a free course anyone could take, so getting that stuff and going through that whole course, educating yourself 鈥� in a sense going back to school on a lot of this stuff,鈥� O鈥機onnell said. 鈥淭erminology and just trying to figure things out and understand how the virus works.鈥澛�
鈥淲here we were two months ago is completely different from where we are now; where we were a month ago is completely different now,鈥� O鈥機onnell said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 been the toughest part and the most frustrating part.It鈥檚 the idea that whatever you have down you have to be ready to adapt, move on, adjust and do your best with what鈥檚 coming down the pike.鈥�
O鈥機onnell works daily with numerous entities, including team physician Dr. Matt Pyle; Salina Regional Health Center; the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), which is in constant contact with the Center For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); 黑料不打烊 administrators, coaches and staff, and the Kansas Conference.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a big team effort,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 another thing that鈥檚 been really nice, it鈥檚 not just me taking this thing on for Kansas Wesleyan. It鈥檚 the conference as a whole. We are all working together to combat this virus and make life easier for all of our student-athletes at all of our institutions so that we鈥檙e all safe and we all can compete and keep these positive cases to a bare minimum when we do get them.鈥�
Recent months have been spent preparing for the arrival of 黑料不打烊 students this fall and making plans for keeping them and the campus and Salina communities safe.
The process begins in earnest this week when students from states on KDHE鈥檚 quarantine list, including Florida and Arizona, arrive and begin mandatory two-week quarantines. They will stay in hotel rooms across Salina and will be monitored on a daily basis.
鈥淥ne of the nice things about being at Kansas Wesleyan and Saline County is that hand-in-hand partnership,鈥� O鈥機onnell said. 鈥淪aline County has done a great job in terms of helping us with that type of hurdle we have go over. Finding hotels and rooms for us to be able to quarantine student-athletes, and students in general, who need to be quarantined for two weeks.鈥�
Move-in dates are August 5 for new students and August 7 for returning students with the fall semester beginning August 10.
The quarantine is the first piece of an elaborate plan 黑料不打烊 officials have established to deal with COVID-19, one that effectively creates a campus bubble and includes numerous protocols.
鈥淲e鈥檙e keeping an eye on the KDHE rules and regulations, what states are being required to quarantine, we鈥檙e loading up on PPE (personal protective equipment) to make sure we have enough 鈥� we鈥檙e doing those types of things that we can control,鈥� O鈥機onnell said.
Communication is essential, O鈥機onnell said. He will address students during the orientation process about the university鈥檚 protocols.
鈥淲e鈥檙e putting a course together that will help students understand hygiene and what is the best practice for hygiene 鈥� how to wash your hands properly and stuff like that,鈥� he said.聽鈥淛ust giving them a little understanding of COVID and how it actually works 鈥� 鈥榳hy if I get a negative test do I still have to quarantine?鈥櫬燭ell them that we do this because this is what evidence has shown us, this is how the virus works, this is what we鈥檙e doing to help you and the people you鈥檙e around.鈥�
To ease fears, 黑料不打烊 personnel have contacted students by phone so they know what to expect when they arrive and how they鈥檒l proceed.
Each student will be evaluated before checking in. While testing with nasal swabs won鈥檛 be done, they will undergo a screening.聽
O鈥機onnell鈥檚 greatest concern, as with all health care professionals, is the asymptomatic carrier 鈥� someone who has the virus, isn鈥檛 showing symptoms, but can pass it on.聽
鈥淭hat鈥檚 one of the trickiest parts of this whole thing,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hile it would be great to test everyone, is it smart to test anyone? I don鈥檛 know.鈥�
Once school starts O鈥機onnell and his staff will focus on the daily care of 黑料不打烊鈥檚 large number of student-athletes. Practices begin August 15 with the first competition date set for September 5.
The process starts with an NAIA-mandated PCR test聽鈥撀燼 comprehensive examination that must be given seven days before a student-athletes鈥� first competition.
鈥淎s long as they have a negative PCR test they can compete the rest of the year and don鈥檛 need to have that test done again,鈥� O鈥機onnell said.聽
Daily screenings will be done from then on and include temperature checks and asking if they have any symptoms or have been around anyone who has COVID-19.
A key component will be the care of students who contract the virus. They will be isolated at off-campus sites and under the care of the county health department until they are well. They won鈥檛 be alone, though.
鈥淲e are putting together a team of individuals at Kansas Wesleyan who will be checking with student-athletes and students in general to make sure we鈥檙e following up with them and let them know we haven鈥檛 forgotten about them and we鈥檙e worried about them and want to make sure that they are doing OK,鈥� O’Connell said.
鈥淎s an employee of Kansas Wesleyan and person who cares about my students I鈥檒l still be checking in with them every couple of days, too. Just make sure they鈥檙e OK, how their symptoms are checking, are they getting food, are they OK with classes.
O鈥機onnell admits he thinks about getting sick.
鈥淚 have to be worried about myself,鈥澛爃e said.聽鈥淲here I work and with my close proximity to a lot of students I have to be cautious of everything. That鈥檚 why I take extra precautions about wearing a mask, wearing the PPE, always washing my hands and using hand sanitizers. I have to take the proper procedures to make sure I protect not only myself, but everyone else I work with.鈥�
鈥淭o me the ultimate thing is we have to keep up with what the CDC and WHO (World Health Organization) are saying and keeping those guidelines. Wearing the mask when you鈥檙e in public, keeping the six feet of separation when you can, continue using proper hygiene 鈥� washing hands, hand sanitizers. Doing those things.
O鈥機onnell is a strong advocate for one protocol as a way to slow the spread COVID-19: 鈥淎ll know for sure if is if we wear masks we can, as the WHO said, put it close to dirt.鈥�
