The NFL Has Their First Significant Covid-19 Outbreak In Week 4

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By Larry Daniels

The Pittsburgh Steelers – Tennessee Titans game will not be played during week 4 following two additional positive coronavirus tests among the Titans, the NFL announced Thursday, October 1st, 2020.

Tennessee’s outside linebackers’ coach, Shane Bowen, did not travel to the Titans – Vikings game on Sunday due to Covid-19 protocols. According to a statement from the NFL, one additional Titans player and one personnel member tested positive for Covid-19 on Thursday. That comes after four players, DaQuan Jones, Kamalei Correa, Beau Brinkley, and Tommy Hudson tested positive. Five team personnel members also tested positive earlier this week. Coach Mike Vrabel said Wednesday, that some of the players who tested positive were experiencing flu-like symptoms. The Minnesota Vikings, who played the Titans on Sunday, have had no positive results in coronavirus testing and their facility was reopened on Thursday.

Did Coach Bowen possibly infect the team? It is not known at this point. The entire Titans traveling party was tested on Saturday. The tests came back negative for Covid-19. League protocol requires all members of the traveling party to have their own rooms and also prohibits them from “congregating, visiting, or mingling with individuals outside of the traveling party once they have arrived in the game city.”

Does the NFL test on game day? The answer is no. The one test the NFL uses that is most trusted, is called a polymerase chain reaction test (PCR). If this test was performed in the morning of a game by nasal swab, the results probably wouldn’t be returned in time for kickoff.

Did the outbreak stay contained? General guidance from public health officials suggests it can five to seven days for an infection to register in a test. Nine Titans tested positive on Monday. Two more tested positive on Wednesday. The league now has to sort through dozens of close contacts to the confirmed positive individuals. A close contact includes contact during a game, as well as data recorded by mandatory proximity devices worn by all team employees before and after the game.

Conclusion:
Does the NFL need to search for a reliable Covid-19 test to use on game days? Absolutely. Would 3 or 4 more outbreaks be cause to cancel the season? Personally, I think you have to. Think of the possible hundreds of people that could be affected. Was it a wise move to play NFL football this year? The pandemic has proven to be tougher to safeguard against than anyone imagined. The very nature of the sport, and traveling every week makes it very high risk. I am surprised it took this long for an outbreak to occur. There is much yet for scientists and the general public to learn.

Football is a great sport to watch and I love playing fantasy football. The good health and long lives of these incredible athletes are even more important to me though. We can all help.
Wear your masks, social distance, wash your hands and disinfect. Don’t quit and don’t let up. Let’s beat this thing together.

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