Editor’s note: all facts true of 6th March 2020.

The outbreak of the coronavirus has caused considerable disruption to the world of sport and many events have been cast into doubt as the virus continues to spread.

Coronavirus – otherwise known as COVID-19 – has spread to over 60 countries, including the UK, after it originated in China at the end of 2019. A recent outbreak of the virus in Italy has raised fears that it could become a pandemic across Europe.

The deadly virus has already had ramifications in the sporting world, especially within Asia. Events have either been relocated, rearranged or even cancelled in China and its neighbouring countries. The Chinese FA have postponed all football games, whilst the Chinese Grand Prix, which was scheduled for next month, has also been cancelled.

The emergence of the virus in Europe has caused further havoc to sport and the struggles to contain it in Italy has led to efforts to limit its damage. Some Italian football games have been postponed in light of the recent developments, and games involving the Italian National Rugby Team in the Men’s and Women’s Six Nations have met similar fates.

Despite measures being taken to curb its movement within sport, coronavirus continues to spread unnoticed, not least because symptoms are not immediately obvious and the prevalence of international travel in today’s world. As a result, it threatens to cause wider disruption to the sporting calendar with numerous high-profile events at risk of being affected by the sickness.

In the short-term, further cancellations in the Six Nations are highly probable, causing delay and uncertainty over the completion of the competition. Ireland’s game against Italy, which was to be played this weekend, has already been postponed and England’s trip to Rome on 14th March is now uncertain.

Likewise, some football games involving Italian sides remain doubtful.  Ten SerieA games so far have been cancelled, with more expected, especially in northern Italy. There may also be similar disruption to the schedules of sports competitions outside of Italy. If there are further outbreaks in mainland Europe, games could be played behind closed doors or even cancelled entirely.

Looking at the potential impact on the summer sporting timetable, the 2020 UEFA European Football Championships – which for the first time will be staged in twelve different countries – could face disruption if the situation worsens, especially as some games are forecasted to be played in Rome. Further outbreaks in countries across the continent could compromise the plan to have several host nations and UEFA could be forced to act.

More concerning is what the spread of coronavirus could mean for the upcoming Olympics in Tokyo, which is only separated from China by the East China Sea. There have been hundreds of people infected with the virus in Japan and sport has been severely restricted in the country since the outbreak. The Tokyo Marathon was limited to elite runners only last weekend, which does not bode well for the Olympics in the summer. The worst-case scenario is that the Olympics could be abandoned. This has only happened three times before due to the two World Wars, demonstrating the near-unprecedented level of potential disruption. Last Tuesday, Japan’s Olympic minister Seiko Hashimoto announced that postponing the games until later in the year is a possibility.

Sport governing bodies are continuing to monitor the situation very closely. Sports teams are also liaising with the authorities and are doing their own bit to try and halt the spread of the virus. For example, Newcastle United have banned handshakes at their training ground.

While there may be no need for the organisers to be too alarmed right now, coronavirus is showing no signs of going away.  If public health is further endangered by the staging of these global sporting spectacles, more difficult decisions may have to be taken.