A general view of a Minnesota Vikings helmet. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images)
The Minnesota Vikings organization has been affected by the coronavirus.
Stopping the spread of the coronavirus is going to be a difficult task for sports teams attempting to return to the field of play.
The Minnesota Vikings organization is the latest example of this as the team announced VP of Sports Medicine/head athletic trainer Eric Sugarman, the team’s Infection Control Officer in the battle against COVID-19, has tested positive for the virus.
Details about whether he was asymptomatic or experiencing symptoms is not yet available, but this is another discouraging sign in the pursuit of returning to play. When the person tasked with the battle against COVID-19 in the team’s building is testing positive, it shows you that no matter how many safety precautions that are in place, the virus is still finding ways to infect and this will continue to spread.
The Vikings released a statement on the positive test for Sugarman.
People testing positive was an assumed risk for the players and coaches but it’s easy to forget this can spread throughout the football offices. Positive cases have already seen entire college football programs quarantines for 14 days at Rutgers and Michigan State. And now Major League Baseball is confronted with the Miami Marlins having double-digit positive cases among their players and coaching staff.
For the fans who want sports back, there will be more positive cases of COVID-19.
This is a developing story and as details are presented, this story will be updated with the relevant and pertinent information.
Best wishes to Sugarman as he works toward getting his health back.