NBA’s testing of players for coronavirus irks public officials who need more tests
The appeal came near the end of a call Friday about COVID-19 between the International Association of Chiefs of Police and White House and Homeland Security officials.
“Stop testing NBA players, and start testing our first responders,” a police chief from outside San Francisco said, per ABC News.
The Washington Post reported eight entire NBA teams have been tested for the coronavirus. Meanwhile others have been turned away when asked to be tested.
A retired biology teacher/school superintendent in Lenexa died Saturday from the coronavirus and was not given a test despite twice visiting an urgent care for breathing issues, one of the main symptoms of COVID-19.
Only after Dennis Wilson was finally hospitalized did a test determine he had the coronavirus, according to his widow’s Facebook messages.
The Kansas Department of Health and Education said last week when there were 12 positive tests for the coronavirus in Johnson County it was considered “community transmission” and the state would reduce testing because there weren’t enough available.
So why did so 58 Jazz players and employees get tested earlier this month after Rudy Gobert was positively identified to have COVID-19 while the team was in Oklahoma City?
“I can’t reiterate this enough: This was a solid public health decision,” Jamie Dukes, the public information manager for Oklahoma’s health department, told the Post. “These players had been in close contact with each other in the days leading up to these test results. They had all been in close contact. With that number of people being in close contact with a confirmed case, it was absolutely critical that we get them tested to identify any potential risk that was out there.”
Last week, NBA commissioner Adam Silver told ESPN that players had the potential to be “super spreaders,” because they gather in large groups and travel extensively.
Since that day, USA Today reported the NBA has instructed teams to identify a facility that was specifically prepared to for coronavirus testing.
For many NBA teams, this was an easy rule to follow because they have close ties to medical facilities in their cities.
According to The Daily Beast, “the speed at which the NBA was able to get the test performed was partly thanks to existing NBA rules and regulations, which allow for the rapid identification of any potential medical issues.”
Nevertheless, New York City mayor Bill de Blasio wondered last week why the New Jersey Nets were able to get a whole team tested. Four players were found to have the coronavirus, including Kevin Durant.
The Nets said in a release the team in part hoped shine a light on the lack of testing.
“We sourced the tests through a private company and paid for them ourselves because we did not want to impact access to CDC’s public resources,” the Nets wrote. “Our hope is that by drawing attention to the critical need for testing asymptomatic positive carriers, we can begin to contain the spread and save lives.”
