This is happening inside Didier. Eeew.
Yes, that silly little ethical principal that pertains to medicine, law, religion, professional psychology, and journalism. Apparently, it is not a principal the medical staff at premier league clubs (suck it, Barclays) have to operate within.
Players are investments for clubs and are treated as such. But, after news that Didier Drogba has malaria was confirmed and released around the world, it makes you wonder to what degree this ‘investment’ mentality infringes on the players individual rights.
Sure, no one is releasing or discussing what possible STD Rooney got from whom and other injuries are made up to explain away any symptoms, but the discussion of Drogba’s medical evaluation is detailed. He was initially reported to have “a virus” and that was why he didn’t start against Liverpool. Isn’t that all we need to know?
Now, the other details include:
“I don’t know where he got it from. I gave him a few days off and he went on holiday for a few days, and then he has malaria. But it’s over now. He’s ok.”
A spokesman for the club added: “The course of medication he is on now will clear it up in three days. This type of malaria will not come back…”
“It can lie dormant in the body for a long time. He is safe to play with malaria. When he first fell ill, we treated him symptomatically. He had a virus and it has come up and gone down, and then come up again.
“We ran tests on all the tropical diseases and viruses but because it was dormant, there was not enough parasitic activity in his blood to pick up malaria in the initial tests.
“You re-test and re-test and when the results came back last night the parasitic activity in his blood had reached a level where it showed up.”
For some reason, this seems more personal than a muscular/typical sports injury picked up during a game (that thousands of fans witness and would therefore expect to be informed about). The illness is likely from being bitten by an infected mosquito when he returned to the Ivory Coast to watch his national team play. In lieu of the fact he wasn’t playing for his national team or his professional team during that time, does a player deserve any right to medical privacy regarding these non sports/game-related ailments?
Isn’t it sports related if it is causing him to miss games?
@TFA – I’d argue not. It’s health-related, but since it wasn’t caused in or by a game – it has nothing to do with the sport. So, it would have been sufficient to release “he has a virus” and can’t play. But his specific condition, dosing regimen, symptoms, etc. go well beyond the need-to-know basis.
I don’t know, if I were an opposing player I would want to know if I might have the same virus communicated to me and how I should address it if I did contract it.
@TFA – but that’s the whole point. If you had that virus and went to work (be that playing in the NBA, working in a school, or whatever) – no one would be the wiser. Is it the RIGHT of another player to know the details of YOUR medical condition?
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P*rn actors are tested for HIV, etc. but that makes sense due to the ‘nature’ of their work. Soccer players are taken off the pitch if bleeding…but they all play with colds, etc. It’s not like if Paul Scholes has strep throat MU would put out a press release so the opposing team that week (or Gary Neville) knows not to kiss him during the game.
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Where does the line of personal privacy end and public scrutiny begin – especially with a matter as sensitive and private as one’s health.
I draw it somewhere before malaria.
Also, I don’t know British health privacy law, but perhaps he consented to the public dissemination of the information.
Speaking of virii. Maybe that’ll teach ‘em not to have unprotected sex with each other.
Whew. Glad Fergie was able to hop on the excuse train before it left the station.
@Ryan: Now, now, Ryan. Fergie speaks for you.
@Anon
This guy got a shout out in that Fegie thing!!!
)
http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/s/1132137_city_fans_champions_league_tattoo__for_2011
Uh oh.
Good thing Tevez played the full 90 on the weekend then hey Roberto? Not like he was coming back from an injury or anything.
@Ryan: Maybe they should send him home to Argentina for further treatment.
I think it’s just shoddy reporting from the Daily Mail really. I mean, he tells his friends he’s 50-50 to play, and they automatically assume it’s an injury. Maybe Carlitos meant there’s a 50% chance he decides to retire from playing football on Wednesdays.
@Ryan: Actually, that would be kind of exciting. Every other week or so Carlitos announces a day of the week that he is retiring from. Stay tuned!
@TNO – that is hysterical. Almost as funny as how that goofy guy will look after Citeh don’t win it next year. lol.
@TFA – your point about agreeing for public disimenation is noted and worthwhile. I had considered that and looked it up originally, but didn’t find any contract specifics or agreements offhand for it…so I don’t have any answers for you there unfortunately.
@MW: Kind of like the dude dressed like a red bull looked goofy when NYRB ingloriously crashed out of the playoffs.
@TFA – separately, Malaria is relatively easy to prevent these days (I went through the song and dance prepping before I backpacked through East Africa for 3 months). I just think it’s strange that he would obviously know those dangers and now is affluent enough to avoid them (with medicine, good hotels with bed nets, etc.) yet still didn’t take the necessary precautions. The classic “oh, it won’t happen to me syndrome”. Yes buddy, it could and it did.
@MW: Particularly since he’s, um, from Africa, you’d think he be aware.
@Anon – exactly. (but that was a rant. it has nothing to do with the personal privacy issues at hand). Aren’t you a lawyer? Or is that my imagination because I know I owe you an elbow to the head (it was promised ages ago). Then I slacked off. I can’t recall why. (-;
@MW: Well, I went to law school. And passed the bar. But I’m trying my damnedest not to practice.
@Anon: you and georger sound like peas in a pod.
@TFA: Is he thinking about going to grad. school for philosophy, too?
@anon: he may have already done that. He is a man of many letters. He is currently in grad school for something.
@TFA: God Bless Him, then. :)
That’s horrible, and I am embarrassed for the refs. That is as easy decision on a card that you can see.