Hungarian Swimmer Katalin Burian Tests Positive for COVID-19 at Europeans

2021 LEN EUROPEAN SHORT COURSE CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Tuesday, November 2nd – Sunday, November 7th
• Aquatics Palace, Kazan Russia
• SCM (25m)
• Entries
• Results

Update: Katalin Burian has confirmed that she is the athlete who tested positive for COVID-19.

A female swimmer who is attending the European Short Course Championships this week in Kazan, Russia has tested positive for COVID-19, activating the championships’ mitigation plan.

The swimmer, who has not been identified, is on the Hungarian team. Two Hungarian female athletes, Katalin Burian and Zsu Jakabos, scratched their prelims swims on Friday morning. Burian was the 13th seed in the 100 back, while Jakabos was the 3rd seed in the 200 IM. Neither swimmer has any other individual events remaining.

We have reached out to both athletes, though their absence, among a number of scratches from the Hungarians, does not necessarily mean that they have tested positive.

Katalin Burian, who scratched the 100 backstroke as the 13th seed, has confirmed that she was the athlete who tested positive. She finished 7th in the 200 backstroke earlier in the meet. While the 100 backstroke was her last individual event, she may have had relay duties remaining.

Burian, who says she is fully vaccinated, has no fever, but she generally feels ill.

“It started a few days ago with a little headache and coughing. But all of the symptoms are very soft, and now I feel very weak.”

A spokesperson for the championships says that all other individuals in close contact have tested negative via two rapid tests and one PCR test.

Under the European Championships’ testing protocols, Burian will now be isolated in their hotel for a period of 14 days, the costs of which will not be covered by organizers. While that time period will run into the upcoming International Swimming League playoffs, Burian is not on an ISL roster this season after racing for Aqua Centurions last season.

Both Hungary and Russia are seeing spikes in new COVID-19 infections. In Hungary, there were 6,804 reported new cases on Thursday and 83 deaths. 3,629 Hungarians are currently hospitalized with COVID-19. That is roughly 70 cases per 100,000 residents.

Russia, driven in part by a very low vaccination rate, is seeing record highs in new cases. Over the last week, there have been over 40,000 new infections per day according to official government data, which is roughly 28 per 100,000 residents. Almost 1,200 COVID-19 deaths were recorded in Russia yesterday.