Fauci: NFL season may not happen
Famed doctor concerned about non-‘bubble’ plan
The returns of the NBA, WNBA, MLS and National Women’s Soccer League amid the COVID-19 pandemic are predicated around forming a ‘‘bubble’’ environment for their leagues.
The NFL is planning to play its 2020 season, however, with a normal travel schedule and teams using their home stadiums. That might present an issue, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
‘‘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 told CNN on Thursday.
He also expressed pessimism for a full season if a second wave of the virus spreads during the fall.
‘‘If there is a second wave, which is certainly a possibility and which would be complicated by the predictable flu season, football may not happen this year,’’ he told CNN.
At least two NFL players, Broncos safety Kareem Jackson and Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott, were revealed this week to have tested positive for the virus. Commissioner Roger Goodell said in an interview Monday with ESPN that the league expects players to test positive during the season.
NFL chief medical officer Allen Sills responded to Fauci’s comments by releasing a statement that said: ‘‘Dr. Fauci has identified the important health and safety issues we and the NFL Players Association, together with our joint medical advisers, are addressing to mitigate the health risk to players, coaches and other personnel . . . .
‘‘Make no mistake, this is no easy task. We will make adjustments, as necessary, to meet the publichealth environment as we prepare to play the 2020 season, as scheduled, with increased protocols and safety measures for all players, personnel and attendees.’’
Hours later, NFLPA medical director Thom Mayer released a statement that read, in part: ‘‘Dr. Anthony Fauci’s words carry important weight, as he has served our country with expert guidance and moral clarity through many crises.
‘‘As we have communicated to our players throughout the spring, we know that there are significant challenges to the operation of football during a global pandemic. So far, we have been guided and made decisions based on the best available science . . . . Our joint task force is comprised of experts in multiple areas who are working every day with health and safety in mind.
‘‘We will continue to update you as we move forward through the summer.’’
The NFL has allowed coaching staffs to return to team facilities, but players aren’t permitted access unless they are rehabbing injuries.