The NFL and NFL Players Association have tweaked their coronavirus testing procedures in an effort to separate “false positive” results from active infections, the league said in a memo sent to clubs on Friday.
The policy will apply to any Level 1 or 2 employee – including all players and coaches – who tests positive but is asymptomatic and has no known history of coronavirus infection. If the person meets these criteria, the league will require two more tests within 24 hours. If these two tests are negative, the person will be allowed to resume normal activity.
The change comes less than a week after Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford was placed on the reserve / COVID-19 list due to a positive test during the training camp admission process of the league. Stafford then tested negative three times and was reinstated in the active list.
NFL chief medical officer Dr Allen Sills said on Friday the league had performed 75,000 tests in the past two weeks and remained committed to changing league policy whenever necessary.
“We’ve always wanted to make sure we are providing the most accurate test results,” Sills said. “By doing 75,000 tests in the first two weeks, you collect a lot of learning. We are constantly reviewing all aspects of the protocol and how we can improve it. …
“What we’re trying to do here is to be really, radically transparent. We’re trying to tell you, ‘This is what we learn and see in real time, here are the steps we take to adjust.’ And I expect that process to continue throughout this season. “
The NFLPA announced on its website Thursday that 56 players had tested positive since training camp began. Sills declined to confirm that number, however. He said that IQVIA, the league’s health data analyst, is reconciling the numbers of positive tests to understand how many infections revealed real infections and how many were either “persistent” – the result of ‘a previous infection that is no longer active – or otherwise inconclusive. The league does not use the term “false positive,” an NFL adviser said, as the tests are considered accurate but sometimes identify the remnants of an inactive infection or, in some cases, an immunological response to a virus. other than COVID-19.
At this point, NFL players had been placed on the reserve / COVID-19 list if they had tested positive or were determined to have had close contact with an infected person.
In the memo, the NFL also reminded teams that all Level 1 and 2 employees must wear masks inside their team buildings and that a face shield is not an acceptable substitute. In addition, the league continued to encourage players to test custom Oakley mouth shields that can be attached to their helmets. Another suggested option is to wear a neck warmer. However, neither is required.
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