Pro Sports Leagues Reevaluate COVID Protocols

In just the past three days, nearly 100 NFL players and some staff have tested positive including both the starting quarterback and head coach of the Cleveland Browns. As COVID surges in the United States, sports leagues are rethinking safety protocols as experts work to understand whether the new outbreaks were being caused by waning vaccine efficacy. Zach Binney, a sports epidemiologist at Oxford College of Emory University stated: “We are seeing a fairly fast and sudden increase over multiple markets and multiple sports and multiple countries. I think everybody’s trying to figure out what’s happening now, what’s driving this?”

According to the reported data, more than 94% of NFL players are vaccinated, NBA has reported a vaccination rate of about 97%, and in the NHL only four players out of nearly 700 on-team rosters were not vaccinated. However, since the outbreak, the NFL said it would require coaches, staff, and other team personnel to receive a booster shot by December 27th, with limited exceptions.

Source: NPR