Doctor: NFL COVID-19 testing issues gave it test fire drill

In two-plus weeks, NFL kicks off its season. That doesn't leave much time to resolve significant issues about its COVID-19 testing procedures.

BioReference Laboratories, which is conducting tests for league, said Monday an isolated contamination caused 77 “most likely false positive results,” at its lab in New Jersey. Eleven clubs were affected, and tests were reexamined and found to be false positives.

“This has been an interesting dynamic because what happened this weekend gave NFL an opportunity to do a sort of a test fire drill," ted Dr. Larry Caplin, who said he consults NFL players and ir union about testing protocols, “It exposed issues and potential vulnerabilities in ir process, and a lot of it relates to speed in which y’re able to confirm results."

Among teams reporting false positives, Minnesota Vikings had 12, New York Jets 10, Chicago Bears nine and Detroit Lions one.

“It’s probably good that it happened w since we’re able to adjust and adapt and figure out things if it did happen during season, and kind of what we would do from re," Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said.

Five labs across country process tests for league's 32 teams and only New Jersey facility had false positives on Saturday.

Jets canceled a walk-through Saturday night, but had a full practice Sunday morning after previously positive tests came back negative. Bears moved ir practice scheduled for Sunday morning to afteron. Cleveland Browns initially canceled practice, but after re-testing turned up negative tests y decided to have ir workout.

“We've talked to team about being patient through this whole process," Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel said. “re’s going to be some things that we’re all going to have to work through. But again, we’re trying to get everybody tested and get those samples out at 10 o’clock to allow lab to do ir job and get us results back safely, and efficiently, and correctly for next day."

Im credits: AP