COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio state soccer does not publicly publish its coronavirus test numbers, but I always wondered if state health officials were at least getting them. Gov. Mike DeWine said he is unaware that the state is obtaining that information from extensive testing of asymptomatic athletes currently participating in voluntary training on the Ohio state campus.
“I wish they would reveal them (publicly). I wish they did, ”DeWine told me in a phone interview over the weekend.
Ohio State soccer players began volunteer workouts on June 8, while men’s and women’s basketball started on June 15 and four more sports on June 22. All sports stopped training on July 8 after an undisclosed number of positive tests. The athletes were retested on July 13 and the workouts were approved to resume on July 14.
DeWine said he has no reason to believe that the test results for Ohio state college athletes would be different than for any group of people in their teens and early 20s. That’s something I’ve discussed a lot: Voluntary training doesn’t seem like a big risk to spread the coronavirus. But being in the world at that age could be.
That is exactly the reason why OSU sharing those test results could serve the public good. As DeWine pointed out, Ohio state numbers fold into general state numbers, so they count. But a specific positivity rate when evaluating youth who don’t show symptoms could be a window into how the virus spreads or doesn’t spread in Ohio.
“That would be valuable information,” said DeWine. “I don’t think I thought about the fact that they hadn’t been revealed.”
No school publishes the names of athletes who test positive, and no one is asking for that. That is an obvious privacy problem. The Ohio state’s statement on her decision is that she believes releasing the numbers could lead to the identification of individual athletes, though how that would be is unclear.
The discussion has taken place across college football as the media pushes for transparency and schools look for rules that apply across the board. Former Ohio State President Michael Drake, testifying before Congress three weeks ago, said: “I think it is appropriate for schools to report cases,” even when the state of Ohio did not. Now the state governor is saying the same thing.
DeWine asked me if other schools are publicly reporting the numbers, and I said many do. An Associated Press survey last month found that about half of power conference schools published numbers. The mandates of the conference would put things on an equal footing, but that has not yet happened. But across the state of Ohio, schools like Michigan, Michigan State, Indiana, Notre Dame, and Kentucky are reporting numbers, while the Buckeyes are evaluating and saving the results for themselves. For example, Michigan reported Friday that 121 athletes and coaches had been evaluated in the last round, with four positives. Overall, Michigan has conducted 635 tests on players and staff, with eight positive points.
I asked DeWine if he told Ohio State that he would like to see the numbers.
“I probably will,” he said.
Ohio State’s plan to resume training, including athletes who signed a “Buckeye Pledge” that some saw more as a waiver, was comprehensive. The Buckeyes outlined strict guidelines, demanded adherence to social distancing, handwashing, and cleaning and disinfection protocols, and seemed to take seriously all aspects of the fight against the coronavirus. The state of Ohio, with vast resources and vast reasons to keep players healthy (like millions in television revenue) could be a model for smart virus protection. The Buckeyes could be a leader in the fight.
If only they showed us, and the governor, exactly how it goes.
Fanatics has launched Ohio State Buckeyes Adult Facial Coats. This pack of 3 masks for adults sells for $ 29.99.
New Ohio state facial masks for sale: This is where you can buy Ohio State themed face liners for coronavirus protection. A 3-pack is available from Fanatics for $ 29.99.
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