Monday, December 7, 2020, 11:30 AM – 1 PM EST

Zach Binney, Epidemiologist and Assistant Professor of Quantitative Theory and Methods, Oxford College of Emory University



“COVID-19 and Sports: Epidemiological and Ethical Issues”



Zach Binney earned his PhD in epidemiology at Emory with a dissertation on NFL injuries, and, given that his research currently sits at the intersection of sports and public health, it is not surprising that he has been much in demand as a knowledgeable commentator on the way the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted sports of all kinds at all levels. He is well qualified to speak about the story we’ve seen unfold for months now as players (and teams) have scrambled to determine when and how it might be safe to return to play—or to continue to play, once returned. The logistical questions have been many. But so have the ethical questions. How much responsibility should colleges and universities bear for keeping their athletes safe? How much professional organizations? And how about responsibility for the safety of those who work with the athletes? And those who might attend an athletic event? Zach will offer an overview of the practical and moral problems the pandemic has brought to the fore in the world of sports and invite us to consider the implications for broader American society of some of the solutions that have been proposed and enacted.