The NCAA and NFL are gearing up for a football season but a known medical expert doesn’t think it will happen in 2020.
Dr. Anthony Fauci tells @drsanjaygupta that "football may not happen this year."
"Unless players are essentially in a bubble – insulated from the community and they are tested nearly every day – it would be very hard to see how football is able to be played this fall" Fauci said
— Jason Hoffman (@JasonHoffman93) June 18, 2020
According to Jason Hoffman, Dr. Anthony Fauci says that “football may not happen this year.” With the Longhorns confirming that Texas has 13 COVID-19 cases and more than two dozen in self quarantine, that seems to make sense. However, sports leagues like the NFL are stating that they are gearing up for the season. The NFL released a statement in response to Fauci’s comments.
JUST IN: The NFL has responded to Dr. Fauci’s statement this morning that said that football would be hard to play in the fall without a bubble framework. pic.twitter.com/cfjatz1vyh
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) June 18, 2020
Dr. Aaron Sills is the NFL’s Chief Medical Officer. Here is his full response.
Dr. Fauci has identified the important health and safety issues we and the NFL Players Association, together with our joint medical advisors, are addressing to mitigate the health risk to players, coaches and other essential personnel. We are developing a comprehensive and rapid-result testing program and rigorous protocols that call for a shared responsibility from everyone inside our football ecosystem. This is based on the collective guidance of public health officials, including the White House task force, the DCD, infectious disease experts, and other sports leagues.
Make no mistake, this is no easy task. We will make adjustments as necessary to meet the public health environment as we prepare to play the 2020 season as scheduled with increased protocols and safety measures for all players, personnel and attendees. We will be flexible and adaptable in this environment to adjust to the virus as needed.
The NFL’s statement doesn’t necessarily apply to the Texas Longhorns but would should expect if they go forward, college football will follow suit. This is a very fluid situation that is constantly changing by the day. Many people in the Big 12 believe that they will kick off the season this year, but will they finish the year is another question altogether.