Saint, Lions Will Play After Covid False Positive

A Covid false positive has played a role in another NFL panic button. This time, with the Saints and Lions.

Saints fullback Michael Burton returned two negative results early Sunday morning. The initial report broke overnight that the Saints learned of Burton’s positive COVID-19 test after landing in Detroit. With the contract tracing concerns spreading rampent there was cause for concern that the game would not happen. Saints officials believed there to be seven players sitting near Burton on the team’s flight, but they all tested negative as well.

Outkick'r David Chao, MD first wrote three months ago explaining viral load and how the virus is most commonly transmitted. 

It is not the acts of blocking or tackling, but prolonged exposure and that makes sideline transmission among teammates more likely than on-field transmission to opponents. 

His theory has been supported by the evidence that there have now been 16 positive tests for the Titans: eight players, and eight organizational personnel. The Minnesota Vikings, who played the Titans last Sunday, have thus far escaped getting infected with the virus.

He wrote a second article that was published at Outkick two months ago as a call to be proactive and not reactive. Chasing positive tests is not the way to go.

Yet teams still seem to be doing it. The point is to treat everyone as COVID positive and when contact tracing is done that the finding should be no one has been in close contact with the positive subject.