Another example of how rampant the COVID-19 pandemic comes from Minnesota on Monday as the Vikings announced head team trainer Eric Sugarman and his family have tested positive for the coronavirus.
We learned over the weekend Minnesota Vikings Head Athletic Trainer and Vice President of Sports Medicine and the team’s Infection Control Officer Eric Sugarman, along with members of his family, tested positive for COVID-19. Eric immediately shared his results with the organization and began to follow the previously established comprehensive protocol created by the NFL and national and local health experts. Eric and his family are currently in self-quarantine and providing daily updates on their well-being.
We have followed the team’s protocol for sanitizing the facility and for notifying any personnel who may have been in close contact with Eric. Those individuals have been tested and are returning under the established guidelines. Eric has not had recent contact with players, and no additional cases within the Vikings front office have been identified at this time.
Eric will continue to fulfill his role as the team’s ICO virtually as much as possible, and his athletic training staff and other Vikings personnel will assist where necessary. We wish Eric and his family a quick and full recovery and look forward to him returning to the Vikings when appropriate.
The health and safety of every member of our organization, our fans and of the broader community is paramount. We encourage everyone to take this virus seriously and to practice the established precautions.
“This weekend my family and I tested positive for COVID-19,” Sugarman said in a statement on the team website. “We immediately quarantined and began to follow the established protocols. At this time we are all doing fine and experiencing only mild symptoms.
… “At this time I am taking care of myself and my family and am focused on their health and recovery. I will return to the Vikings and my role after following the proper protocols.