World Cup Qatar – France, others infected. Now it’s an alarm: flu or Covid?

From our correspondent Sebastiano Vernazza

December 15th
Doha (Qatar)

On Saturday night, after the England-France quarter-final match, journalists were required to wear masks to enter the so-called mixed zone, the place where interviews can be carried out. After the France-Morocco semi-final, the same decision: distribution of masks at the entrance to the “mixed zone”.

INFLUENZA

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Yesterday the countermeasure was requested by France, worried by the flu epidemic or other that has crept into the group. The first to be affected were Upamecano and Rabiot. The defender had a fever and a sore throat, but he managed to sit on the bench for the match against Morocco. Rabiot no, the Juventus player remained in the hotel prey to flu symptoms, which have hit Coman in the last few hours. France fears that the virus, flu or Covid makes no difference, is spreading more and more among players and has increased precautions. “The hydroalcoholic gel has reappeared on the tables,” Tchouameni said. Sunday is the final and every detail counts.

Air conditioning

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Didier Deschamps traced it all back to air conditioning: “There is no particular concern for a possible epidemic, these are cases of fever due to the effects of air conditioning in stadiums and in the various environments, exacerbated by efforts on the field. Of course, by now we are sensitive to everything viral and we have taken the necessary measures ”. It is not even excluded that it is Covid, but Fifa has downgraded the swabs to non-mandatory tests and those who do them do not disclose the results for privacy reasons.