ORLANDO, Fla. _ Megan Rapione pointed it out.
With concerns around the world regarding the coronavirus, the U.S. women's national team midfielder was standing in front of a throng of reporters and said everyone probably shouldn't be bunched as close together as they were.
"I mean, I think everybody _ we're all standing really close right now _ should probably back up a little bit," Rapinoe said with a laugh during media availability for the SheBelieves Cup on Wednesday.
Joking aside, the Coronavirus _ known as COVID-19 _ has spread globally, and there have been conversations internally about how to deal with handshakes, high-fives or players taking phones from fans to shoot selfies.
The USWNT is taking precautionary measures to make sure players and fans are safe.
"I think everyone just in the world should be a little bit more cautious," Rapinoe said. "Not necessarily protecting myself because I'm young and healthy, so it probably wouldn't affect me that much, but just trying to keep the virus at a minimum. ... In general, I mean no one is freaking out about it. I think you just do what you can to be safe and to keep your hands washed and all of that. Other than that, we just go out and play."
USWNT coach Vlatko Andonovski said Wednesday the federation's medical staff has been monitoring updates on the virus and sharing details with Andonovski and the squad. Andonovski added he does not think the outbreak will affect the team or games in any way. However, if the team is advised not to play a match, he said he has no issues with it.
"Yeah, I think, you know, we'd be naive to not think that," goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris said. "We've talked about this as a staff and as a team and we have to do the right thing, culturally, to not spread anything if we can.
"So we're doing our due diligence at meals with hand sanitizer, constantly making sure we're all washing our hands. Just making sure that our hygiene is like just top-notch, because we don't want to spread anything, we don't want to contract anything and that starts with shaking hands before games, after games.
"It's going to be elbow, it's gonna be fist bumps, it's going to be toe slaps, it's going to be, you know, respecting with a bow, whatever the case is, but no handshaking at this point."
The World Health Organization has reported there have been close to 100,000 cases of the virus globally, with more than 80,000 in China, where the first case was confirmed. There have been almost 3,000 deaths from the virus in China, according to the WHO. It has spread to more than 80 countries, including the United States, where there have been several confirmed deaths.
The outbreak has made an impact on soccer pitches around the world.
All sporting events in Italy, including Serie A matches, will be played without fans in attendance for at least the next month, the Italian government announced on Wednesday.
Ligue 1, the highest tier of soccer in France, has restricted handshakes between players and referees.
Those measures have yet to be taken in the U.S. before, during and after national team matches, MLS matches and NWSL matches, among other leagues. However, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday Los Angeles County officials have discussed the idea of at LAFC and LA Galaxy home matches being played without fans because the county is under a health emergency.
Prior to the opening match of the SheBelieves Cup between Japan and Spain, USA Soccer showed a video at Exploria Stadium with six ways on how to stop the spread of the virus.
And the amount of travel teams do during a season, both domestically and internationally, also increases the risk of catching any illness.
USWNT midfielder Carli Lloyd has been more of a fist bump and elbow bump person for five years. Her teammates have given her flack for it, but for now, they'll be following her lead.
"I think in general, the lives we live, we travel in airplanes which (are) some of the dirtiest places to be in, airports, buses, everything," midfielder Carli Lloyd said. "I've always tried to be very conscious of washing my hands because when you're flying and when you're traveling, you get run down, so you're picking up sicknesses a lot easier. ... But yeah, it's obviously a bit of a concern, but I know that US Soccer and our medical staff is gonna do everything to put us in a good position, in a healthy situation. So yeah, just keep washing those hands."
