There’s yet another virus-related development for the Michigan State football team.
Last Wednesday, Michigan State announced it was suspending football workouts after one staffer tested positive for COVID-19. Two days later, MSU announced that a second staffer and a player have tested positive as well. As a result, the program decided to quartine or isolate the entire football team for a period of 14 days.
Monday, MSU revealed that 16 Spartans players and four staffers have tested positive for COVID-19. Those 20 individuals include the three previously reported.
Below is Michigan State’s statement on the development:Michigan State conducted COVID-19 testing on 122 student-athletes the week of July 20-24. Among those testing last week, 16 student-athletes tested positive.
In addition, four athletic department staff members tested positive for COVID-19 last week (July 18-24); staff members were tested both on campus and at off-campus locations.
The two staff members and one student-athlete that tested positive for COVID-19, as previously announced, are included in these overall testing numbers from last week.
All members of the football team are currently in isolation or quarantine, while awaiting completion of a requested 14-day quarantine that began on July 22. As part of the athletic department’s return to campus policy, student-athletes have been asked to quarantine when coming into close contact with an individual who tests positive for COVID-19. The university has designated areas available to house individuals in quarantine as needed based upon the living arrangements for student-athletes.
For the individuals who tested positive, daily check-ins with athletic training staff will continue while the individuals remain in isolation, with additional services provided as directed by the medical and administrative staffs. Further testing and physician follow-up will be required prior to returning to any level of workouts.
The Ingham County Health Department will continue to conduct further contact tracing.
Surveillance testing of football student-athletes will be repeated prior to their clearance to return to workouts; the earliest possible return is Aug. 4 based on the 14-day quarantine.
Since the beginning of June, Michigan State Athletics has conducted more than 600 COVID-19 tests on student-athletes and staff members. There have been a total of 524 tests on student-athletes, with 23 positive results. Since June 15, there have been more than 100 tests on staff members, at locations both on and off campus, with five positive results. Per MSU Athletics policy, student-athletes were required to receive two negative test results before getting cleared to take part in workouts.