Official NBA COVID Protocol thread (please read the OP)

[Ballerhogger]

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[Arteezy]

If you test 100 people you get 2 positives


If you test 100000 people you get 200 positives.

Maths aint hard

[Ballerhogger]

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[azcatz11]

This is really unfortunate and crappy. I made a thread before the season about how the breakthrough cases were going to shut down the NBA again possibly. I hope it doesn’t come down to this.

How can the NBA continue with zero covid though? Will they change the policy to symptomatic? Or just shut down? The NFL has had 75 positives in the last 2 days (I’m guessing Omicron?).

This is gonna suck.

My opinion: stop testing players who have no symptoms / who aren't sick. If the players association wants a bubble again they will have to give up significant salary. If they're willing to do that, do it. Otherwise, we're going to be in this for years so have to learn to adapt

[Dominator83]

They're gonna need to change the standards. Not just the NBA but society in general. If these vaccines are as safe and effective as our leadership claims they are, then why are we still so worried about it? It's looking obvious that the vaccines aren't keeping anybody from getting it. But it seems like nobody testing positive who's vaccinated are showing any symptoms. Most players are shocked when they test positive because nothing's wrong with them!

Just make it where you must be vaccinated in order to play. Period. And if there's no symptoms you can play regardless ! Again not just the NBA, but life in general. It's not having it that matters. It's the potency that matters. If it's not potent then play on!

[Arteezy]

Tobacco and alcohol create about 40% more deaths than covid in 2021. People need to grow up.

Do not bait people into a debate about COVID. The guidelines are spelled out very clearly on page 1. Stick to talking about the impact on players, teams and the NBA, and feel free to give thoughts on the NBA's protocol itself. BUT DO NOT GET INTO YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE VIRUS (OR THE VACCINES). -b

[BoatsNZones]

They're gonna need to change the standards. Not just the NBA but society in general. If these vaccines are as safe and effective as our leadership claims they are, then why are we still so worried about it? It's looking obvious that the vaccines aren't keeping anybody from getting it. But it seems like nobody testing positive who's vaccinated are showing any symptoms. Most players are shocked when they test positive because nothing's wrong with them!

Just make it where you must be vaccinated in order to play. Period. And if there's no symptoms you can play regardless ! Again not just the NBA, but life in general. It's not having it that matters. It's the potency that matters. If it's not potent then play on!

Ethan Strauss did broach this subject today and I think this has merit as this has become a truly endemic virus that will not be eradicated in any foreseeable future. We’re at the point of this (2 years in) where my personal opinion is that if you’re showing symptoms + test positive you should sit, and if not you should continue as normal (in all work places, but the NBA per this thread).

Where I’m losing Strauss on this excerpt is that this is exactly how the rest of society is currently operating for the most part. They would be joining the masses, not leading a charge.

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[BoatsNZones]

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So basically, shutdown incoming. I’d wager a significant amount of the population is currently carrying the virus. If they test the healthy/non-symptomatic, invariably MANY of them will show a positive and the league will shut down. Only to reopen and begin the same dance. That protocol can’t last if they want to keep the league going. The same would go for society as a whole if testing were mandatory at your 9-5.

[Dominator83]

They're gonna need to change the standards. Not just the NBA but society in general. If these vaccines are as safe and effective as our leadership claims they are, then why are we still so worried about it? It's looking obvious that the vaccines aren't keeping anybody from getting it. But it seems like nobody testing positive who's vaccinated are showing any symptoms. Most players are shocked when they test positive because nothing's wrong with them!

Just make it where you must be vaccinated in order to play. Period. And if there's no symptoms you can play regardless ! Again not just the NBA, but life in general. It's not having it that matters. It's the potency that matters. If it's not potent then play on!

Ethan Strauss did broach this subject today and I think this has merit as this has become a truly endemic virus that will not be eradicated in any foreseeable future. We’re at the point of this (2 years in) where my personal opinion is that if you’re showing symptoms + test positive you should sit, and if not you should continue as normal (in all work places, but the NBA per this thread).

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This!

Not to mention, supposedly there are pills that are close to being on the way that will help the ones that do have symptoms, reduce those symptoms! Like an Advil for Covid

[BoatsNZones]

They're gonna need to change the standards. Not just the NBA but society in general. If these vaccines are as safe and effective as our leadership claims they are, then why are we still so worried about it? It's looking obvious that the vaccines aren't keeping anybody from getting it. But it seems like nobody testing positive who's vaccinated are showing any symptoms. Most players are shocked when they test positive because nothing's wrong with them!

Just make it where you must be vaccinated in order to play. Period. And if there's no symptoms you can play regardless ! Again not just the NBA, but life in general. It's not having it that matters. It's the potency that matters. If it's not potent then play on!

Ethan Strauss did broach this subject today and I think this has merit as this has become a truly endemic virus that will not be eradicated in any foreseeable future. We’re at the point of this (2 years in) where my personal opinion is that if you’re showing symptoms + test positive you should sit, and if not you should continue as normal (in all work places, but the NBA per this thread).

Read on Twitter

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This!

Not to mention, supposedly there are pills that are close to being on the way that will help the ones that do have symptoms, reduce those symptoms! Like an Advil for Covid

Correct. These are their preliminary results in high risk patients. Extremely promising.

NEW YORK, Dec 14 (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) on Tuesday said its antiviral COVID-19 pill showed near 90% efficacy in preventing hospitalizations and deaths in high-risk patients, and recent lab data suggests the drug retains its effectiveness against the fast spreading Omicron variant of the coronavirus.

The U.S. drugmaker last month said the oral medicine was around 89% effective in preventing hospitalizations or deaths when compared to placebo, based on interim results in around 1,200 people. Data from its final analysis of the trial disclosed on Tuesday includes an additional 1,000 people.

https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/pfizer-says-covid-19-pill-near-90-effective-final-analysis-2021-12-14/

[BigDan245]

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I understand being cautious and everything, but this has gotten ridiculous. Dudes are at home playing video games and feeling as good as ever and being forced to sit at home for what? It's almost 2022 and we have booster shots as well as the original 2 shots. We cannot keep living in fear. Yes there are cases of guys like Embiid who have gotten sick, but guess what, he's playing.

If you're sick sit out. If you're a normal human being without any symptoms, there is zero point in sitting at home. We need to stop living in a fairy tale land. This isn't going away and constantly testing young healthy people who aren't sick is so over the top. We have medicines and vaccines. If you're older or don't feel comfortable, stay inside. Life is too short to be wasting it.

[OkcSinceSGA]

So... league shutdown coming if they are gonna ramp up testing a lot. I think their method isn’t going to solve or change anything.

[FNQ]

This is really unfortunate and crappy. I made a thread before the season about how the breakthrough cases were going to shut down the NBA again possibly. I hope it doesn’t come down to this.

How can the NBA continue with zero covid though? Will they change the policy to symptomatic? Or just shut down? The NFL has had 75 positives in the last 2 days (I’m guessing Omicron?).

This is gonna suck.

My opinion: stop testing players who have no symptoms / who aren't sick. If the players association wants a bubble again they will have to give up significant salary. If they're willing to do that, do it. Otherwise, we're going to be in this for years so have to learn to adapt

This ultimately could be the solution, however suggesting it at this stage is wildly irresponsible.

We have some data that suggests this variant is more contagious but in doing so, the virus has weakened itself to the point where its not as lethal of a threat. Now as callous as some people are, they'll suggest diving headfirst into that and if people die, they die. Fortunately society has progressed beyond this, and there are plenty of places compiling data for the new variant right now, and my company is at the ready (already - kinda excited) to dive into the data once our client has decided they have enough clear data to go off of.

What's concerning here is the spike of people who should be otherwise healthy (IE young athletes) getting positive tests. Now its great that its not as lethal, supposedly, right now. But the obvious question should be - if the virus was able to transition to something that ensured it's livelihood, and since the natural progression with viruses is to reproduce and gain strength, we have to be wary of dismissing it as less important, because if it can retain its transmission levels while increasing its strength in the next variant, we've effectively trained it to be as lethal a pandemic as possible.

So testing should continue to occur, and health/safety protocols should remain in place in both the NFL and NBA until we get a better handle on it. All that said, the more likely outcome is the virus becoming more inert, and the fact that its more contagious will give our immune systems more data to work with in defending against this strain and other similar strains. But at this stage leaning heavily into one way (stop testing!) or another (complete lockdown!) is wildly irresponsible

[First Step]

The NBA relaxed restrictions as an incentive for players to get vaccinated. All it takes is one player meeting a side chick to bring it in the locker room. They need to go back to daily testing.

[GunnerWRX]

Many Lakers are tested positive recently. I wonder if the NBA will try to see if the virus signature in Dwight/Monk's samples, is related to the false positive sample obtained from LeBron earlier.

[BoatsNZones]

Many Lakers are tested positive recently. I wonder if the NBA will try to see if the virus signature in Dwight/Monk's samples, is related to the false positive sample obtained from LeBron earlier.

Week+ apart. It’s not related.

It’s related to them testing all players regardless of symptoms now. We are seeing it in the NFL as well.

[GunnerWRX]

Many Lakers are tested positive recently. I wonder if the NBA will try to see if the virus signature in Dwight/Monk's samples, is related to the false positive sample obtained from LeBron earlier.

Week+ apart. It’s not related.

It’s related to them testing all players regardless of symptoms now. We are seeing it in the NFL as well.

It has only been 10 days since LeBron re-joined the Lakers. The incubation period can be much higher than 10 days.

I wouldn't just blindly say it is un-related.

[Packbuckman]

Honestly at least for the playoffs bring it back to the Disney Bubble which worked amazingly in hindsight.

For of all the sacrifices people around the world have made during the pandemic, literally staying in a resort to play ball isn't the worst thing in the world for players, if the other alternative is not playing at all.

There will be no more bubble. That was the low point for the league.

Right now seems to be a lower point, at least the players could actually play.

They are not going to be playing in a bubble again and they will have fans in the stands for both leagues. The rest of the world might shut down don’t see that happening in USA unless a more severe strain becomes dominant they will push for boosters.

[BoatsNZones]

Many Lakers are tested positive recently. I wonder if the NBA will try to see if the virus signature in Dwight/Monk's samples, is related to the false positive sample obtained from LeBron earlier.

Week+ apart. It’s not related.

It’s related to them testing all players regardless of symptoms now. We are seeing it in the NFL as well.

I mean what you’re saying makes no sense. What we are assuming is that Lebrons was a false positive. It’s much more likely than assuming others have a similar “virus signature” (whatever you’re trying to say by that).

[jc23]

There will be no more bubble. That was the low point for the league.

Right now seems to be a lower point, at least the players could actually play.

They are not going to be playing in a bubble again and they will have fans in the stands for both leagues. The rest of the world might shut down don’t see that happening in USA unless a more severe strain becomes dominant they will push for boosters.

hope so, the bubble and no fans was not a fun product imo.