BEREA, Ohio – Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski revealed Monday that he, one of his team members, had a false COVID-19 positive result in Saturday’s tests.
A total of 77 Saturday tests on 11 NFL groups had positive effects after being treated in the same lab in New Jersey, a user familiar with the scenario told USA TODAY Sports, confirming an NFL Network report. The user spoke under anonymity condition because it is not legal to reveal the figure.
All tests at the point of service were negative and all original effects were retested and also returned as negative, the user said.
“It wasn’t a laugh,” Stefanski said at a Zoom video convention with the Browns’ battered writers. ‘I can laugh at that now, but it wasn’t really fun having that phone call very early in the morning and not having the news that it was potentially a mistake until later. This is something I take seriously, and our purpose with our players and staff is to keep everyone safe.”
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NFL regulations and the NFL Players Association prohibited Stefanski from training Sunday’s practice because of his positive control result, so defensive coordinator Joe Woods led the 50-minute consultation without padding. Stefanski left to watch a seven-on-seven workout on his iPad.
“It’s like a nightmare when education goes on and you’re not there,” Stefanski said. “It’s a little strange.”
Stefanski said it took him about 4 hours on Sunday to be informed that the test result was a false positive. He returned to the brown seat after receiving a negative check moment on Monday, when the team returned to his regime at 2:25 p.m. begin for the ninth full team education consultation of the education camp.
“It was a very attractive morning, ” said Stefanski. “I will tell you that our organization was mobilized immediately. We took over, followed the protocols and yet it was a drill, as it’s called, but it was a wonderful reminder that we have to accept as true with our protocols. and make sure that we do everything the right way and that we prepare as usual.
A Browns spokesman said the team had 12 players who won the check effects at a time before Monday’s practice, allowing them to participate in time. The Browns, Chicago Bears, Buffalo Bills, New York Jets, Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings were among the groups involved.
When asked about evidence of problems that could interfere with the upcoming season (the Browns are scheduled to open September 13 in Baltimore), Stefanski said the franchise would simply continue to adhere to appropriate protocols.
The NFL uses BioReference Laboratories for its COVID-19 tests. In a statement released Monday morning, Dr. Jon R. Cohen, the company’s chief executive, issued the following:
“On August 22, BioReference Laboratories reported a lot of positive COVID-19 PCR verification effects for NFL players and staff from various clubs. The NFL took the mandatory measures without delay to ensure the protection of players and staff. Our research indicated that these were likely false positive highs, caused by remote contamination during control preparation in the New Jersey lab. Reagents, analyzers and personnel were all excluded as imaginable reasons and the following checks indicated that the challenge was resolved. All those affected were shown to be negative and informed. »
Stefanski said he won a phone call shortly after 4am on Sunday to alert him to the positive outcome of his control. The father of three later left his home on Cleveland’s West Side and moved remotely into a condominium near the team’s school. He said he felt a great relief when he heard the false positive result.
“It just reinforces my feelings, and I told the team this: our mindset, my mindset is, ‘you don’t need to have that’, and, No. 2, ‘you don’t need to give anyone,” “Stefanski said.” That’s why we’re so strict about protocols. That’s why we stick to everything until the T. That’s why we act very carefully because we take care of others, players, coaches and their families. »
If there’s one positive thing about Sunday’s chaos, it’s that the Browns needed to prepare more for a terrible COVID-19 outbreak.
“It was a great run at worst,” said offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt in Zoom. “I arrived early and was not allowed into the building. I was nervous. I was wondering if that was it. You start thinking about anything that could happen if that’s the case. I also have an idea about my in-laws who visited us for a day and how I would go to them if I could have, you know, a positive check as well.
“So, when you don’t know it was false [positive], you’re very worried, very worried. But at that moment, once we thought everything was going to be okay, I was proud of men. They repainted mode. Array.. It was a little unsettling at first, but I was proud of how the day went for our boys. They showed up and responded well.