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NFL, NFLPA adjust testing protocols to account for past positive tests

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The NFL received great news with the number of players on the COVID-19 reserve list shrinking to 12, however it will be key for players to continue taking the correct measures.

The NFL and NFL Players Association realize that adjustments will be needed as more is learned about COVID-19. The latest adjustment is one that will involve less, not more, testing.

Based on CDC guidance regarding the chances of reinfection following a positive COVID-19 diagnosis, the NFL and NFLPA have agreed that anyone with a confirmed positive result will not be tested for 90 days. This meshes with the conclusion that anyone who has the virus will not catch it again for at least three months, thanks to the presence of COVID-19 antibodies.

Despite the relaxed testing requirements, anyone who has tested positive will still be required to wear masks and engage in other efforts aimed at limiting the spread of the virus. In other words, beyond the suspension of testing, nothing else will change.

The NFL continues to have a very low rate of positive test results. Some wonder whether that has resulted at least in part from the fact that numerous players and coaches have had the virus and still have the antibodies.