NFL Chief Medical Officer says only six positive COVID-19 cases from August 12-20

The NFL has continued its daily COVID-19 testing, something they extended until September 6th, with over 50,000 new tests just last week resulting in only six coming back positive. None of the six were players and were deemed to be team personnel only.

If you were looking for more of an in-depth breakdown on the numbers, this from Brian McCarthy, the NFL’s director of Public Relations.

Aside from the 77 false-positive cases reported over the weekend, this is a phenomenal sign as the league prepares to begin their season without fans in most locations.

The lab that handled most of the NFL’s testing said that contamination caused the false-positive results that affected 11 teams.

Per MarketWatch:

“The NFL immediately took necessary actions to ensure the safety of the players and personnel,” said Dr. Jon R. Cohen, executive chairman of Bioreference. “Re-agents, analyzers and staff were all ruled out as possible causes and subsequent testing has indicated that the issue has been resolved. All individuals impacted have been confirmed negative and informed.”

The league is using this scenario as a case study for a potential outbreak leading up to a game. Unlike Major League Baseball, who plays almost every day, football will have a week of preparation to ensure players are not producing false positive leading up to a game.

The NFL hopes to continue its positive momentum, as it pertains to limiting exposure to the coronavirus, with the regular season opener between the Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs in just 17 days.

For the latest news on the NFL and the Pittsburgh Steelers, be sure to stay tuned to BTSC as the 2020 regular season quickly approaches!