Coronavirus: Ezekiel Elliott, several Cowboys and Texans players test positive for COVID-19, per report

[BallinPB]

After months of being shut down, several states around the country are beginning to slowly reopen following the COVID-19 pandemic. While the curve has somewhat been flattened, it remains to be seen whether a second wave is imminent. Some states are opening more quickly than others, such as Texas -- which has seen a rise in cases recently. Unfortunately, members of the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans may have been affected by this recent spike. According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, several Cowboys players and Texans players have tested positive for the coronavirus. 

None of the players are believed to have been in their team facilities, and the teams have been following the proper health protocols. Rapoport says that one of the players who tested positive is Cowboys star running back Ezekiel Elliott. Per Patrik Walker of CBS Sports, Elliott is asymptomatic and doing well. He was tested as a precaution. Last month, NFL chief medical officer Dr. Allen Sills said that they fully expect they will have some positive cases, and the challenge would be to identify them as quickly as possible and prevent the spread. According to Rapoport, the teams appear to have done that. 

CBS News reported on Sunday that the number of people in Texas hospitalized from the coronavirus hit a record high of 2,287 this past weekend. The state has continued to move forward with its reopening plan, with restaurants being allowed to increase capacity to 75% and almost all businesses allowed to operate with 50% capacity on Friday. Texas has conducted more than 1.4 million tests, aggressively targeting certain areas. Earlier this month, Texas Governor Greg Abbott made the decision to transition into Phase 3 of reopening. In this order, Abbott permitted sports venues -- among other businesses -- to expand their capacity from 25 percent to 50 percent.

Just last week, the NFL sent a memo to teams detailing several safety measures such as locker room setups, social distancing guidelines and how to host workouts. The NFL is hoping to return to business as usual in the near future, but with that will come some positive tests. This will be an interesting case study to see if teams can control the spread among members of the team/staff and if these new developments will halt any further progress regarding reopening facilities. 

 

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/coronavirus-ezekiel-elliott-several-cowboys-and-texans-players-test-positive-for-covid-19-per-report/

[BallinPB]

This is quite concerning.  Are we sure this season actually going to happen?

[PS17]

Just now, BallinPB said:

This is quite concerning.  Are we sure this season actually going to happen?

We'll see. Spain and Italy, the two hardest hit countries in Europe, have their soccer leagues up and running again. The German Bundesliga has been playing for weeks now too. I really hope we can get our sh*t together over the next two months.

[MindOverMatter]

1 minute ago, PS17 said:

We'll see. Spain and Italy, the two hardest hit countries in Europe, have their soccer leagues up and running again. The German Bundesliga has been playing for weeks now too. I really hope we can get our sh*t together over the next two months.

I hope so too. But as the days pass i get less and less confident.

[Bleedin Green]

7 minutes ago, BallinPB said:

This is quite concerning.  Are we sure this season actually going to happen?

NFL wants their money, and if they can keep the spread at least moderately limited, they will continue to move forward.

I think the league would sooner force diagnosed players onto IR before cancelling the season as long as they think there's enough players left to field teams.  Don't get me wrong, I'm sure they'll look to avoid it coming to that as well, but my point being is I'm sure they have a long list of plans and backup plans to make sure they still get paid.

[SomebodytoAnybody47]

1 minute ago, Bleedin Green said:

NFL wants their money, and if they can keep the spread at least moderately limited, they will continue to move forward.

I think the league would sooner force diagnosed players onto IR before cancelling the season as long as they think there's enough players left to field teams.  Don't get me wrong, I'm sure they'll look to avoid it coming to that as well, but my point being is I'm sure they have a long list of plans and backup plans to make sure they still get paid.

IR? That’s just a questionable tag, out two weeks. Easy peasy. 

[Bleedin Green]

2 minutes ago, Samtorobby47 said:

IR? That’s just a questionable tag, out two weeks. Easy peasy. 

Like I said, I don't think they'd want it to come to that, but if it ever reaches the point that they're talking about possibly cancelling the entire season, then the problem will have clearly passed the point of any sort of simple short-term solution.  I don't think they'd rule that out as a worst-case-scenario plan.

[14 in Green]

Let’s wait and see what happens next month.

If TC gets pushed back, the NFL will join the other major sports trying to balance finding a way to start a season, and convincing the players it’s safe to do so.

My prediction is, November at the earliest.

[rangerous]

i guess zeke and the others didn't stay shut down.  but you know these are all young guys and think they are invincible.  if they were 65 and older i'd be really worried.  and just because a person tests positive doesn't mean that they will get a full blown case requiring hospitalization.  it seems to me that teams that get this now as opposed to later will have an advantage come game 1.

[JetsMetsDevilsPA]

I hate to say it but if they are going to proceed (and I surely hope they do) that they should do it without fans.  Open the gates with the NFL package and allow the cable operators to offer it and they will make as much money as they did previously.  No food/beer means no workers means no lost revenue.  I coach baseball and as much as I want to get on the field and my son and daughter playing, I told the league officials at a meeting the other night that I am totally fine with forgetting about the season (even fall ball).  The rules are ridiculous and the league cant even open the food stands (not a big deal to me because the parents never want to do it anyway, but its how we pay the umps.  

[varjet]

To me this is pretty simple:

• Players and anyone who is in contact with players gets tests constantly.  My son's college is opening 8/26, and they will test everyone every other day.  The NFL has more money than Colby College.
• Add to that temperature testing and symptom monitoring.  
• Players who are positive get quarantined for 14 days.
• This is the hard part where it falls apart-the players and anyone in contact with them need to quarantine during the season and wear masks when not playing.  N95 masks.  They cannot be out and about with the general public.  If they want to get paid, they need to really keep this locked down.   The phones are a powerful team, and we will see lots of pictures and videos of misbehaving players.

A player can go to the club and get infected, go on IR and still get paid, and if its isolated that is fine.  But if he gets other players sick and a team breaks down, its on him.  The Jets should move camp to Cortlandt and really try to keep this locked down as much as possible.

I am not optimistic.  

[Sarge4Tide]

HIPAA violations everywhere!

 

[nico002]

How terrifying, an elite athlete tested positive and is completely asymptomatic- I hope he survives this!

[Kleckineau]

8 minutes ago, rangerous said:

i guess zeke and the others didn't stay shut down.  but you know these are all young guys and think they are invincible.  if they were 65 and older i'd be really worried.  and just because a person tests positive doesn't mean that they will get a full blown case requiring hospitalization.  it seems to me that teams that get this now as opposed to later will have an advantage come game 1.

This report of these players covid status is incomplete and  misleading for the layman. If they simply have tested positive for antibodies its actually a good thing. Fact is the overwhelming majority of persons testing positive will never become sick or exhibit symptoms and minus testing would have never known that they were exposed to someone with covid In response to exposure they develop antibodies and their life goes on uninterrupted. There is a clinical similarity with TB.  Millions (billions?) get exposed and develop the antibodies and never get sick. Saw this over and over during my career including my own positive TB / PPD test years ago. I was never sick from it. We wanted full blown testing we got it. Also I am surprised the media is freely sharing private citizens medical information like this. Unless they have signed some form of release giving them permission to use it it is against the law.

[munchmemory]

1 minute ago, nico002 said:

How terrifying, an elite athlete tested positive and is completely asymptomatic- I hope he survives this!

I just hope he didn't inadvertently infect others in his family and community, especially the elderly or those with underlying health issues.

[HighPitch]

Well what were we all expecting? That nfl players wont get it?

i dont know. Probably best that there no spectators or at least 1/4 capacity with 3 seats between

[HighPitch]

To be honest this next month will be telling. If people continue to test positive and the death rate continues to drop and hospitals are not in crisis, football is happening

[varjet]

I am not a doctor, but I think players playing and fans attending games at the stadium are two entirely different issues.

• The players going to the facility and stadium and playing against their teammates and opponents obviously puts them at risk, but hopefully if everyone is tested its safe.
• I don't think the players get sick from the fans.  The fans will not be tested like the players.   The stadiums are generally open air but I would think bringing people together like that would contribute to spread.    My guess is that with some screening it can be done so the results are not disasterous.  But anyone over the age of 50 who attends a game probably is not thinking.  

[chirorob]

People are going to get exposed, the whole point was to "flatten the curve".

They may test positive, but do they have any symptoms? 

[Kleckineau]

22 minutes ago, munchmemory said:

I just hope he didn't inadvertently infect others in his family and community, especially the elderly or those with underlying health issues.

For reasons only they can answer (cough cough) the media seems to confuse, conflate (clicks?) testing positive for Covid and testing positive for the antibodies to Covid. If Zeke has tested positive for covid antibodies, is disease free, he is not a health threat to anyone.

[JetsFanatic]

1 minute ago, Kleckineau said:

For reasons only they can answer (cough cough) the media seems to confuse, conflate (clicks?) testing positive for Covid and testing positive for the antibodies to Covid. If Zeke has tested positive for covid antibodies, is disease free, he is not a health threat to anyone.

The media sucks. The biggest reason for an uptick in Covid-19 cases in Texas and Arizona is greater testing. The reason hospitalizations are up in Arizona is non-Covid patients are now receiving treatment they put off during the height of the spread.

[rangerous]

30 minutes ago, Kleckineau said:

This report of these players covid status is incomplete and  misleading for the layman. If they simply have tested positive for antibodies its actually a good thing. Fact is the overwhelming majority of persons testing positive will never become sick or exhibit symptoms and minus testing would have never known that they were exposed to someone with covid In response to exposure they develop antibodies and their life goes on uninterrupted. There is a clinical similarity with TB.  Millions (billions?) get exposed and develop the antibodies and never get sick. Saw this over and over during my career including my own positive TB / PPD test years ago. I was never sick from it. We wanted full blown testing we got it. Also I am surprised the media is freely sharing private citizens medical information like this. Unless they have signed some form of release giving them permission to use it it is against the law.

yep.  that was my point.  either way the risk to these guys is way low and it's kind of better to get it out of the way.

[Jet Nut]

5 minutes ago, JetsFanatic said:

The media sucks. The biggest reason for an uptick in Covid-19 cases in Texas and Arizona is greater testing. The reason hospitalizations are up in Arizona is non-Covid patients are now receiving treatment they put off during the height of the spread.

You dont know how that sounds to someone who caught it and not from the media.  

People are sloppy, they're given an inch they take an arm.  I drove by a bar on the way home from my hospital stay and it was pumped to the gills, people on tables on top of each other, no one with a mask.  

But its extra testing.

[munchmemory]

13 minutes ago, Kleckineau said:

For reasons only they can answer (cough cough) the media seems to confuse, conflate (clicks?) testing positive for Covid and testing positive for the antibodies to Covid. If Zeke has tested positive for covid antibodies, is disease free, he is not a health threat to anyone.

Agreed.  Reading several of the news accounts, it appears to me at least that Zeke tested positive for the virus, not antibodies.  I think the spin would have been more positive (no pun) as Dallas could have used testing for antibodies as a way for Zeke to go about his business without infecting others.  Instead, we got this:

“Due to federal and local privacy laws, we are unable to provide information regarding the personal health of any of our employees. We are following all CDC, local and NFL guidelines to keep our facilities safe, including limiting employee access.“

 

[pdxgreen]

7 minutes ago, munchmemory said:

Agreed.  Reading several of the news accounts, it appears to me at least that Zeke tested positive for the virus, not antibodies.  I think the spin would have been more positive (no pun) as Dallas could have used testing for antibodies as a way to go about his business without infecting others.  Instead, we got thei:

“Due to federal and local privacy laws, we are unable to provide information regarding the personal health of any of our employees. We are following all CDC, local and NFL guidelines to keep our facilities safe, including limiting employee access.“

 

I am fine with laws that provide for public health and personal insurance information to be made private and legally protected.  I'd hate to live in the society where they kind of information was broadcast on the news.  "____ was taken into today for a manic episode in what police are calling as part of massive sting operation of domestic terror.  We don't have any details as of yet.  But we do know that everything they have it work will be parked in a small box on a curb."

[Spoot-Face]

11 minutes ago, Jet Nut said:

You dont know how that sounds to someone who caught it and not from the media.  

People are sloppy, they're given an inch they take an arm.  I drove by a bar on the way home from my hospital stay and it was pumped to the gills, people on tables on top of each other, no one with a mask.  

But its extra testing.

Good to see you home, Nut!

[munchmemory]

4 minutes ago, pdxgreen said:

I am fine with laws that provide for public health and personal insurance information to be made private and legally protected.  I'd hate to live in the society where they kind of information was broadcast on the news.  "____ was taken into today for a manic episode in what police are calling as part of massive sting operation of domestic terror.  We don't have any details as of yet.  But we do know that everything they have it work will be parked in a small box on a curb."

Of course.  I'm all for personal privacy.  Was just trying to show that if Zeke had a positive test for antibodies, he and the Cowboys would have yelled it from the mountaintop.

[JoJoTownsell1]

2 hours ago, BallinPB said:

This is quite concerning.  Are we sure this season actually going to happen?

Why is this concerning? They contracted a fairly contagious virus. People contract viruses all the time. We've heard of a number of professional athletes that had it and none, that i can recall, got sick enough to go to the hospital. That is actually good news. Reinforces the theory that young, healthy people aren't at risk. 
If Zeke was in the hospital on a ventilator, that would be concerning. 

If anything, the Cowboys are lucky a bunch of their players have it now. They are, by most accounts, unlikely to get it again. It would be great news if EVERY Jet player had it with mild to no symptoms, recovered and now had anti-bodies. 

[Jet Nut]

27 minutes ago, Spoot-Face said:

Good to see you home, Nut!

It feels so good to be in my own bed.  My house.  

Now if I can get my legs back.

But I'm well aware how lucky I am.  

[Lith]

28 minutes ago, Jet Nut said:

You dont know how that sounds to someone who caught it and not from the media.  

People are sloppy, they're given an inch they take an arm.  I drove by a bar on the way home from my hospital stay and it was pumped to the gills, people on tables on top of each other, no one with a mask.  

But its extra testing.

Great to hear that you are back home.  Hope you keep getting better and stronger.

[Lith]

 

[bitonti]

1 hour ago, varjet said:

To me this is pretty simple:

• Players and anyone who is in contact with players gets tests constantly.  My son's college is opening 8/26, and they will test everyone every other day.  The NFL has more money than Colby College.

but not more money than Bowdoin College 

GO U BEARS 

 

[Jet Nut]

3 minutes ago, Lith said:

Great to hear that you are back home.  Hope you keep getting better and stronger.

Thanks Lith, its slow and tiring but its good to have and end game that isnt total darkness

[JoJoTownsell1]

4 minutes ago, Lith said:

 

I was NOT expecting that from Richard Sherman. I agree with him. I think any players/coaches with medical concerns should be allowed to not play/coach while the rest of the league should play and do their best to contain any outbreaks with massive amounts of testing. 

You can't quarantine entire teams every time one player tests positive. You just need to test every player multiple times a week, perhaps every day if there are confirmed cases on the team. 

While we heard that there can be asymptomatic spread it still appears FAR more likely to get it from someone that is symptomatic. If you are testing every day, the likelihood is that you will catch players/coaches before they even get a chance to have symptoms. 

[Jet Nut]

31 minutes ago, JoJoTownsell1 said:

Why is this concerning? They contracted a fairly contagious virus. People contract viruses all the time. We've heard of a number of professional athletes that had it and none, that i can recall, got sick enough to go to the hospital. That is actually good news. Reinforces the theory that young, healthy people aren't at risk. 
If Zeke was in the hospital on a ventilator, that would be concerning. 

If anything, the Cowboys are lucky a bunch of their players have it now. They are, by most accounts, unlikely to get it again. It would be great news if EVERY Jet player had it with mild to no symptoms, recovered and now had anti-bodies. 

Because if you dont have respiratory issues, and 20 year old athletes shouldn't, there isnt a reason to be in the hospital.  

Normal treatment for those who aren't in a compromised condition is to go home, stay away from others, treat the fever and then go 14 days without a fever.