Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Why NBA players can get coronavirus tests but regular Americans are struggling to

Why NBA players can get coronavirus tests but regular Americans are struggling to

Because of a widespread testing shortage, Americans across the country with symptoms of the novel coronavirus have struggled to get tested.

Yet on Tuesday, the NBA's Brooklyn Nets announced that four of its players had tested positive for the virus, including three who had no symptoms at all. Last week, the NBA tested the entire Utah Jazz team after center Rudy Gobert tested positive, and another team that had recently played the Jazz also tested its entire traveling party.

The contrast between regular Americans' struggle to get tested and the NBA's capacity to test entire teams regardless of symptoms set off a mix of frustration and resentment toward the elite, best encapsulated in a tweet from New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.

"We wish them a speedy recovery," de Blasio tweeted. "But, with all due respect, an entire NBA team should NOT get tested for COVID-19 while there are critically ill patients waiting to be tested. Tests should not be for the wealthy, but for the sick."

Public health officials don't agree with the mayor's assessment, according to NBA spokesman Mike Bass.

The NBA postponed its season after a member of the Utah Jazz tested positive for coronavirus on March 11, 2020.

"Public health authorities and team doctors have been concerned that, given NBA players' direct contact with each other and close interactions with the general public, in addition to their frequent travel, they could accelerate the spread of the virus," Bass said.

"Following two players testing positive last week, others were tested and five additional players tested positive. Hopefully, by these players choosing to make their test results public, they have drawn attention to the critical need for young people to follow CDC recommendations in order to protect others, particularly those with underlying health conditions and the elderly."
In other words, part of the impetus for testing NBA players is that they could become "super-spreaders" who unknowingly infect many other people.


Testing shortage for ordinary Americans


The scarcity of coronavirus testing in the US has been readily apparent for the past few weeks. Many Americans suffering symptoms associated with what's officially known as Covid-19 said they are angry and frustrated after trying to get tested only to be turned away, as CNN reported last week.

"No, we don't have enough test kits and neither does any other state, and no, the federal government does not have an answer," Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said Tuesday. "We are behind, and that's going to continue to be a problem that we're all trying to address."

While US health officials say testing is ramping up - and while drive-through testing in several states is rolling out - a shortage of available testing remains an issue, CNN has found.

Given the overall shortage, coronavirus tests in the US are being given to those who reach certain criteria, including people who have been exposed to someone who has already tested positive. That, too, helps explain how the NBA players exposed to Gobert were able to get tests.

Eric Feigl-Ding, an epidemiologist and senior fellow at the Federation of American Scientists, called the current testing capacity in the US "abysmal for everyday Americans."

"Right now, we are playing catch-up and testing people who are very sick," he said. "We need to make testing available so that we get to the frontier of the cases, so that the moment someone develops symptoms, we test and quarantine them ... that's how you nip an epidemic in the bud."

Amid this shortage, the NBA has conducted testing of several teams in the wake of Gobert's positive results. And it has had the support of officials and medical experts the entire way.

Last week, the NBA's Utah Jazz said the initial decision to test Gobert for coronavirus was made "with NBA medical staff and Oklahoma health officials." Afterward, state health officials tested all members of the Jazz's traveling party and confirmed that Donovan Mitchell, who had no symptoms, had also tested positive for coronavirus.

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert and Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox praised the "prudent decision to test the entire team," they said in a joint statement.

The Toronto Raptors, who played the Jazz in Utah days before the positive tests, said that their traveling party was also all tested for coronavirus. They all tested negative, the team said.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
Intel Reports Revenue Beats but Sees 81% Rise in Losses
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
Tulsi Gabbard Unveils Evidence Alleging Political Manipulation of Intelligence During Trump Administration
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Trump Announces Coca-Cola to Shift to Cane Sugar in U.S. Production
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
Moonshot AI Unveils Kimi K2: A New Open-Source AI Model
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
×