The NFL’s decision to reduce COVID-19 testing for asymptomatic, vaccinated players could signal a trend for pro sports leagues and provide an example for society to follow heading into 2022.
Despite a rising number of positive cases that forced three games to be rescheduled over the weekend, the NFL, in cooperation with the players’ union, agreed on Saturday to scale back testing for vaccinated players. The move aligns with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC recommends “diagnostic testing” only for symptomatic or close-contact vaccinated people, and “screening tests” only for unvaccinated people.
"We can’t continue the status quo, ad infinitum, where we are testing regularly people that are otherwisey, asymptomatic, triple-vaccinated, just to detect the asymptomatic individual who might be positive ... because then you’re going to quarantine that individual who might be asymptomatic or having mild symptoms, who is triple-vaccinated, who might for a small period of time, be infectious to others who presumably are also vaccinated.
The league says Monday’s results are evidence its new “smarter” and more “strategic” testing policy is working. Positive cases were identified and the players were isolated. Players who test positive must quarantine until they’re cleared to return. Under the new procedures, vaccinated players can return in fewer than 10 days.
“The other side is that they’re going to have more players that are out there that are infected that are potentially transmitting to other players and leading to a greater burden of infections,” said Dr. David Hamer, professor of globaland medicine at Boston University. “This change in plan makes me nervous mainly because of Omicron surging.”
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