As the league prepares to return to play, the Houston Rockets are joining an initiative led by the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Mayo Clinic that aims to determine what percentage of NBA players, coaches, executives, and staff have developed antibodies to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
According to ESPN’s Malika Andrews, the initiative is expected to include participation from all 30 NBA teams. “Assessing the prevalence of antibodies in NBA personnel will help teams identify which people might have a lower risk of contracting COVID-19,” Andrews writes.
While the extent and duration of immunity for those who have already had COVID-19 is not yet fully understood, knowing any previous asymptomatic carriers could still be beneficial. With that knowledge, the league can better map the initial spread of the disease in the NBA.
All 30 NBA teams are expected to participate in a coronavirus antibody study, spearheaded by Timberwolves’ Dr. Robby Sikka. Researchers hope the results offer a better understanding of the spread of the disease in the league and society. ESPN story: https://t.co/p8LUmdVELc
— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) May 20, 2020
To this point, no Rockets player has been publicly identified as having had COVID-19. However, the league clarified in March that teams were not required to disclose positive tests, citing medical privacy reasons. In April, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver admitted that additional players beyond the known names had tested positive for the virus.
The comprehensive NBA study also aims to validate a less invasive method of testing, which could help make antibody testing more available to the general public in the months ahead. Andrews writes:
In this study, blood samples will be collected using the finger prick method and blood draws. According to a memo that was sent to teams and reviewed by ESPN, the Mayo Clinic hopes the study will help validate the less invasive method, making it easier for widespread antibody testing in the general public.
Major League Baseball (MLB) recently went through its own antibody study involving players and team employees, which found that less than 1% of those studied had contracted the virus.
But whereas MLB had yet to truly start its 2020 season and all of the associated travel, the NBA was in full swing. Several positive test results were reported involving NBA players, including high-profile names like Kevin Durant, Rudy Gobert, and Donovan Mitchell. It does not appear, at least based on public information, that the virus was as embedded in MLB as it was the NBA before the leagues shut down in early March.
These antibody studies could help confirm that, as well as offer clues on how to better understand the risk factors for athletes moving forward.
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