The NFL’s top doctor said Thursday that players will miss practices, and perhaps even games, with cold and flu symptoms even if they test negative for the coronavirus.
Dr. Allen Sills, the league’s chief medical officer, said on a conference call Thursday that teams should “err on the side of caution” in sending symptomatic players and coaches home from practice — in case they have the coronavirus.
“Even if they have a negative [coronavirus] test that day, we’re going to hold that individual out of the facility,” Sills said.
While it’s unclear who would make the game-day decision if a player has cold and flu symptoms and a negative coronavirus test, Sills said the league will rely on the team’s medical staff and their own expertise in making decisions.
The NFL has yet to find a case of on-field transmission of the coronavirus, Sills said. While that’s a positive sign, the league still mandates that teams that have faced someone who later tested positive undergo special protocols at their practice facilities. The Panthers — who face the Bears on Sunday — are doing so this week after a Falcons player tested positive Tuesday.
Sills’ warning about cold and flu symptoms were particularly relevant Thursday, as Browns receiver Odell Beckham Jr. stayed home from practice Thursday despite testing negative for the coronavirus.
The NFL held a campaign to encourage all its players to get a flu shot, knowing that influenza and COVID-19 have similar symptoms: fever, a cough and body aches, among others. Thursday, Sills encouraged the public at large to do the same.
