Michigan State athletics COVID-19 numbers drop; 4 athletes, 1 staff member test positive
Michigan State’s athletic program experienced a better week with COVID-19 testing.
MSU had four positive test results among 59 athletes and one of 27 staff members infected with the novel coronavirus, according to numbers released Friday by the athletic department.
The 5.8% positivity rate between Nov. 12-Thursday is down from last week, when 17.5% of the athletic department’s 97 tests came back positive, including men’s basketball coach Tom Izzo. That spike came after MSU had just five positive cases among athletes (4) and staff (1) in 119 tests (4.2%) the previous two weeks.
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The Spartans had their football game scheduled for Saturday canceled, their first this fall, due to a COVID-19 outbreak within Maryland's program. The past two weeks, the Terrapins have had 23 cases among players and seven among staff members, including coach Mike Locksley.
MSU has conducted at least 3,102 COVID-19 clinical PCR tests on athletes and staff members since June. There have been 167 positive results among at least 2,619 tests on Spartan athletes and 12 COVID cases among more than 483 tests among staff members.
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Individuals who tested positive and remain in isolation will undergo daily check-ins with athletic training staff. Additional services will be provided as directed by the medical and administrative staffs, and further testing and physician follow-up will be required prior to returning to any level of workouts.
Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrissolari. Read more on the Michigan State Spartans and sign up for our Spartans newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan State's COVID-19 numbers drop; 4 athletes, 1 staffer positive
