Coronavirus: NFL’s chief medical officer says widespread, fast turnaround testing needed before 2020 season can start on time

Although the NFL and U.S. President Donald Trump are counting on seeing the league kick off on schedule in 2020, the league’s top medical official is not entirely sure.

Dr. Allan Sills, the NFL’s chief medical officer, has his concerns. According to NFL Network’s Judy Battista, Sills said that certain prerequisites — including widespread testing for the coronavirus — must be met for that to happen.

Sills said that the availability of point care testing, where a test can be administered and results are returned quickly, will be a critical factor in determining when teams are allowed to return to their facilities. While this type of testing is not currently available, Sills, without offering a specific timetable, is confident that they will be soon.

“As long as we’re still in a place where when a single individual tests positive for the virus that you have to quarantine every single person who was in contact with them in any shape, form or fashion, then I don’t think you can begin to think about reopening a team sport. Because we’re going to have positive cases for a very long time.”

Football has been the one major sport whose calendar has been unaffected by the coronavirus due to the fact that it takes place in the fall. Others such as basketball, baseball and hockey have been put on hold for the immediate future.

Sills said the NFL won’t act in a vacuum when it decides on how it will handle playing games and noted there’s no current timeline for when that decision must be made. Sills stated that the players will have to be allotted some time to get back in shape before starting the season. Late last month, commissioner Roger Goodell issued a memo informing teams that all offseason functions have been postponed until further notice. Teams have also left their facilities, with coaches and general managers working remotely from home.

Nevertheless, Sills is still not ruling out the league’s regular season beginning on time, despite the challenges that lie ahead.

“I would say [that starting the season on time is] everyone’s hope, that we are in a position to do that. But the reality is none of us know those facts for certain right now. We hope and pray for the best and prepare for the worst, realizing that is one potential outcome that we will be back fully in business playing games as normal in front of fans on schedule. But it’s certainly not the only outcome.

“And I think what was implied there was to say we are not at a point where we are saying that is absolutely not going to happen so we should continue our planning and preparations as if we’re going to be able to do that. But obviously we’re going to have to evaluate that along the way. And follow what the recommendations are from public health officials and from our infectious disease experts and others.”