Anthony Fauci: Ability To Play NFL Season ‘Unpredictable’

Anthony Fauci says that capacity for at least two coronavirus tests at least per week is the benchmark for a safe 2020 NFL season.

The US government’s infectious diseases expert on Monday sounded a warning that the virus is unpredictable. While the NFL released its schedule last week, Anthony Fauci says it’s execution will depend on a number of factors. 

Anthony Fauci said that testing capabilities should be adequate by the end of August. Given that the season begins in September, it may or may not be safe to fill stadiums for the games.

Want $250 to bet on NFL futures?

Sign up here!

“The virus will make the decision for us,” Fauci said.

“I think it’s feasible that negative testing players could play to an empty stadium.

“If the virus is so low that even in the general community the risk is low, I could see filling a third of the stadium or half the stadium so people could be six feet apart. It’s going to depend.”

The NFL has been tone deaf in its insistence that it’s 2020 regular season will be unaffected by the pandemic. While league officials have conceded that it will have to be prepared for delays, etc, it looks like they are simply hoping that it will all work out come September. 

“Right now, it would be overwhelmingly piggish. But by the end of August, we should have in place antigen testing … You could test millions of people,” Fauci said

“If you really want to be absolutely certain, you’d test all the players before the game… To be 100% sure, you’ve got to test every day. But that’s not practical and that’s never going to happen.

“But you can diminish dramatically by testing everybody Saturday night, Sunday morning, and say ‘OK, only negative players play.’”

Read: DK Metcalf Advises Rookies To Use Social Media Positively

“As for the football season, it will be entirely dependent on the effectiveness with which we as a society respond to the inevitable outbreak that will occur,” he added.

“Even if the virus goes down dramatically in June, July and August, as the virus starts returning in the fall, it would be in my mind, shame on us if we don’t have in place all of the mechanisms to prevent it from blowing up again.

“So the ability or not to actually have a football season is… unpredictable depending upon how we respond in the fall. You’ll have to play it by ear according to the level of infection in the community.”