COLUMBUS, Ohio — Dr. Mark Cameron is a rabid hockey fan, often driving more than four hours from Cleveland to Toronto to watch his beloved hometown Maple Leafs play.



Dr. Iahn Gonsenhauser is a lifelong fan of all Cleveland sports — “born, bred and long-suffering,” he said — and a passionate supporter of his alma maters’ powerhouse programs, Ohio State (football) and Syracuse (men’s basketball).



Dr. Michael Chang loves cycling, auto racing and the NFL.



They all empathize with sports fans who are suffering now that the games have been taken away, either canceled, rescheduled or suspended indefinitely by the coronavirus-caused pandemic that brought North America to a halt more than a month ago.



They are also renowned doctors and researchers at three of the leading universities in the country for studying public health, infectious diseases and pandemics, which puts them in a unique spot regarding...