Disaster: At least 14 Miami Marlins baseball players and coaches test positive for COVID
Terrible news from the world of baseball. It seems that coronavirus is tearing through the Marlins, with at least 14 people testing positive. Here’s Jeff Passan from ESPN:
Eight more players and two coaches with the Miami Marlins have tested positive for COVID-19, as an outbreak has spread throughout their clubhouse and brought the total of cases in recent days to at least 14, sources familiar with the situation tell me and @JesseRogersESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 27, 2020
I’m somewhat surprised by this development. I expected baseball to be the lowest-risk major sports league. Players have limited close physical contact with each other.
I can only assume that a player had it and spread it in the clubhouse. This outbreak suggests that there was inadequate social distancing, hand-washing, and mask use before and after the games.
To save the baseball season, here’s what we must do:
Players should be tested frequently (perhaps daily or every other day)
Players and coaches should change and shower at home to minimize the risk of infection in the clubhouse
Team meetings should take place outdoors
Alcohol hand gel stations should be readily accessible
Players and staff should wear masks at all times except during games/training
All players and staff should sleep at least 8 hours/night and eat healthy, immune-boosting foods like aged garlic and probiotics.
Dr. Charlop is a sports medicine and performance expert and the author of Why Doctors Skip Breakfast: Wellness Tips to Reverse Aging, Treat Depression, and Get a Good Night’s Sleep. Feel free to contact him directly to learn how to optimize your sports performance.
