Phillies player shows flaws in MLB, sports coronavirus testing protocols
Major League Baseball clubs still have much to learn as it pertains to mass coronavirus testing ahead of the 60-game regular season scheduled to begin in late July.
The Philadelphia Phillies were responsible for the first confirmed MLB COVID-19 outbreak when five players and three staff members working at the team's Clearwater, Fla., facilities tested positive last week.
The Phillies confirmed four additional positive tests among personnel on Tuesday.
As The Athletic's Marc Carig and Matt Gelb reported, testing and health screening likely won't be an exact science at any point in the foreseeable future.
The Phillies’ case offers a reminder that even with rules in place, there are no guarantees when it comes to the coronavirus. After one person reported mild symptoms last week, the Phillies tested 48 players and staff at their Florida complex, and 11 were COVID-19 positive. One of the COVID-19 positive tests, according to two sources, came from a person who never failed the temperature checks.
“As far as I can tell, all the guidelines MLB set were met within the complex,” one Phillies player said on condition of anonymity. “I was there every day until it was shut down, and I tested negative. So it’s hard to say exactly how it spread.”
This shouldn't be too surprising for those who have followed coronavirus protocols throughout the sports world. Earlier this month, middleweight Ian Heinisch was nearly pulled from a UFC 250 bout after a cornerman recorded what was later determined a "false positive" test result.
Premier League outfits Arsenal and Norwich City had players return negative tests following initial positive results.
WWE came under fire this month after the company temporarily suspended taping following a positive coronavirus test. Before that person returned a positive result, reporters such as Dave Meltzer and Bryan Alvarez of the Wrestling Observer repeatedly reported the promotion only performed health screenings and temperature checks instead of full coronavirus tests at its Florida Performance Center.
The UFC and All Elite Wrestling repeatedly tested athletes for COVID-19 ahead of May and June shows.
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