The newsletter included updates on the Universality Wild Cards (UWC) system and classifications in respect of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, rearranged to run between August 24 and September 5 2021 because of the pandemic.

Regarding the position with UWCs, the IPC said a new period would be established in 2021 for National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) to apply for the Wild Cards, and that this was likely to be around March and April next year, although this is not confirmed.

Existing applications, submitted before the original deadline of April 13 2020 will be kept on file, and the NPCs that made those applications will be contact in spring 2021 to validate them.

Regarding the classification system, the IPC said it was looking to "develop a set of recommendations for its membership in relation to the rescheduled Games classification activities," which it plans to share in the coming weeks.

The IPC also provided an update on the potential impact of the coronavirus on Para athletes, despite admitting that there were no ongoing studies in this area, meaning it was difficult to provide an answer to questions posed to the governing body about whether Para athletes were more at risk of severe disease from coronavirus.

The IPC wrote in the newsletter on this topic: "Consultation with the IPC Medical Committee and International Federation medical experts, as well as information provided by the World Health Organisation (WHO), indicates that there has been no evidence that an athlete with a disability has a higher risk of contracting COVID-19. 

"Para athletes are also more experienced than the general population to following hand hygiene, coughing etiquette and general infection avoidance procedures as part of illness prevention education - this has been a principle of Para athlete education for some time.

"However, at this time we all should be even more vigilant in this regard."

The IPC advised athletes to "follow the current medical guidance from the WHO and their national guidelines on prevention and seek advice from medical professionals."

Another item within the first edition of the weekly coronavirus update was an article by Dr Debra Alexander, an IPC Board governing member entitled "Getting our heads around COVID-19".

Dr Alexander's article urged athletes to accept coronavirus for "what it is" and to "harness the power of the breath."

The newsletter also featured a piece by the WHO with a general update on the virus, which has infected more than 2.3 million people and led to more than 159,000 deaths.