The NBA appears to be entering dangerous territory with respect to the health and safety of players amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Brian Windhorst and Zach Lowe of ESPN reported multiple players who already tested positive for COVID-19 have tested positive a second time:
Adding to anxiety currently affecting the NBA amid a spike in COVID-19 cases, multiple players who previously tested positive for the coronavirus have recently tested positive a second time, sources told ESPN.
The CDC defines “reinfection” as a person getting infection, recovering and then later becoming infected again. There are ongoing studies about how long immunity may last, but the CDC says it expects some coronavirus reinfections.
The NBA has announced more than 100 positive tests since last summer, but the actual number since March is believed to be significantly higher. Several teams have more than 10 players who have tested positive at some point over the last nine months, sources told ESPN.
This lends some skepticism to early testing procedures at the start of the pandemic, in addition to the number of potential false positives incurred by players around the league. The latter part is a great unknown, as the NBA is not conducting league-wide assessments of which players have the antibodies.
“Reinfection” could force the NBA to take more drastic measures in altering the Health and Safety Protocols or perhaps even pausing the season.
Positive tests and contact tracing have forced the postponement of three games this season. Numerous players have been mandated to undergo week-long quarantine and isolation periods. Commissioner Adam Silver warned January could be one of the roughest months, but the league is being hit hard.
League officials is set to have a special call with the Board of Governors on Tuesday. It remains to be seen how the NBA will mitigate the risks of playing in the pandemic.
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