NFL urges players, team staff to report COVID-19 symptoms

The NFL is stressing the value of grounds reporting to forestall the dispersed of COVID-19 successful a video featuring coaches Pete Carroll, Andy Reid, John Harbaugh and Ron Rivera.

“It is captious for each players, coaches and different unit to recognize and study symptoms immediately,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said successful a memo sent to teams connected Tuesday and obtained by The Associated Press. “It is besides indispensable for our aesculapian staffs to proceed their efforts to show everyone successful the nine environment.”

Dr. Allen Sills, the league’s main aesculapian officer, opens and closes the 2 1/2-minute video. Seattle’s Carroll, Kansas City’s Reid, Baltimore’s Harbaugh and Washington’s Rivera look to repetition a elemental message: “If you consciousness something, accidental something.”

“We promote players and coaches who are feeling ill, nary substance however mild the symptoms, it is champion to err connected the broadside of caution,” Reid says.

Sills reminds players if they person symptoms but trial negative, they volition not beryllium held retired of the squad environment.

“Symptom reporting is much important than ever,” Sills told the AP. “Vaccinated radical whitethorn person precise antithetic symptoms. Last year, for those who had COVID-19, they mightiness person a precocious fever and chills and occupation breathing … and with the vaccination they whitethorn person lone nasal congestion oregon a mild sore pharynx oregon a headache oregon fatigue.

“It’s challenging to amended radical to talk up astir symptoms and get tests. It has to hap done aggregate forums arsenic we did with vaccinations. Through our diversion trainers and physicians and coaching staffs, determination is tons of connection going on.”

More than 93% of players and astir each nine unit are vaccinated.

“When an idiosyncratic fails to study their symptoms, they are overmuch much apt to bring the microorganism to their workfellow and loved ones,” Goodell said successful the memo. “This increases the hazard to radical astir them and puts teams astatine a disadvantage. We tin bash better.”

Sills is assured the league won’t person important problems playing retired the season.

“I americium overmuch much optimistic than I was past twelvemonth simply due to the fact that we person harmless and effectual vaccinations we’re capable to deploy and make safer environments,” helium said. “There were truthful galore things we didn’t cognize entering past season. We are successful a overmuch amended spot than past twelvemonth and we person these important tools to usage successful this battle.”

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AP Pro Football Writer Barry Wilner contributed to this report.