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UIL Medical Panel Tweaks Pandemic Rule
The UIL Medical Advisory Committee (MAC) met virtually (Sept. 13) and unanimously voted to make the requirement that a doctor’s clearance is needed before any student who tests positive for COVID-19 can participate in UIL activities apply to far fewer students. (meeting webcast)
The change requires that only students who are subject to requirements for completing the annual preparticipation medical history form — athletes and marching band members — will be under the requirement to get a physician’s okay before being allowed to participate in UIL activities.
This will exempt students participating exclusively in UIL academic and music (non-marching band) activities from the requirement. The change was made on the recommendation of the Texas Medical Association (TMA) and the Texas Pediatric Society (TPS).
All Texas schools must continue to follow mandates set by the state for students who test positive for COVID-19.
The committee declined to adopt the TMA/TPS’ second suggestion that if a student tests positive for COVID-19, but only exhibits mild (or no) symptoms of the virus, then the student should not be required to undergo a medical evaluation by a doctor prior to returning to UIL activities.
The committee informally agreed with San Antonio orthopedic surgeon/MAC Chair Jesse DeLee’s comment that determinations of when a student who is subject to the return-to-play protocol due to a positive COVID-19 test should firmly rest with a physician, and not with a school nurse, athletic trainer or anyone else at the school level whose job description doesn’t include evaluating the condition of a positive-tested student.
Neck Gaiters
The committee also agreed to continue to allow local schools to decide whether football players can wear neck gaiters — loose fabric rings of elastic cloth worn around the neck that can be quickly pulled up to cover the face and nose — during play.
Neck gaiters are included among the types of allowable face coverings and masks that must be used by UIL participants on the sidelines, UIL staff said. The committee directed UIL staff to issue a statement to schools to point out the potential danger in the wearing of neck gaiters during football play while stressing that this is something that schools can decide for themselves.
The UIL follows (college) NCAA rules for football, which allows neck gaiters, staff said.
In non-pandemic activity, the committee made what were described as minor revisions to the preparticipation medical history forms to be used starting next school year, and set its next meeting for April 11, 2021.