Cougars placed in self-quarantine

Staff member on Las Vegas trip experienced flu-like symptoms consistent with COVID-19

The University of Houston baseball team is in self-quarantine after a staff member developed symptoms consistent with COVID-19 following a recent trip to Las Vegas, the school announced Sunday.

The unidentified person is currently being tested for coronavirus, and the precautionary selfquarantine will last as UH awaits test results, which could take 4872 hours, the school said in a statement.

No other student-athletes, coaches or staff appear to have developed symptoms. UH was in Las Vegas March 9-11 for a baseball series against UNLV.

Coach Todd Whitting said the program is following the selfquarantine protocol out of abundance of caution to “get ahead of this thing.”

“From a society standpoint, some people might think this might be some type of overreaction with the NBA and college baseball and all the spring championships shutting down, but when it kind of becomes personal like it is in our program, you really kind of get it,” Whitting said. “I think that’s how everybody feels at the University of Houston right now, that we are doing everything we can to do our part to keep this from spreading in our little community.”

A contingent of 40, which included players and staff, were on the trip, which began with a three-game series March 6-8 against Arizona in Tucson. UH returned from Las Vegas in the early morning hours March 12 and held practice later that day. That same day, UH, in conjunction with the American Athletic Conference, announced the suspension of all spring sports amid concerns over the coronavirus outbreak.

The unidentified person began to experience flu-like symptoms upon returning to Houston. Whitting was notified Saturday night, and each player was immediately informed via phone.

“We personally called every player Saturday night,” Whitting said. “We’ve told them exactly the truth, that somebody in the program might possibly have contracted this and don’t know for sure, but we’re taking precautionary measures at this point.”

A no-practice, no-workouts moratorium has been extended through March 22 to limit student-athletes from group gatherings. In addition, UH has staff has deactivated student-athlete electronic access to athletic facilities. An athletic spokesman said facilities, including the recently opened Baseball Development Facility, have undergone additional cleaning protocols.

UH is the second college baseball team in the state to go into self-quarantine in the past week. Baylor announced last week that its entire team had been quarantined after “indirect contact” with three Transportation Security Administration officials at the San Jose, Calif., airport, who have since tested positive for COVID-19.

UH was on spring break last week. The school canceled classes and will resume its courses remotely or online March 23.