Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford said he was “glad” he was diagnosed with a false positive COVID-19 test because it may prevent others from having a similar situation in the future.
Stafford entered the COVID-19 reserve list on August 1, and was removed three days later with what was determined to be a false positive. Stafford had twice negative tests for his only positive test and then negative three times negative in the days that followed.
“I know everyone is doing the best they can. I’m glad it happened to me at this point, and the league is trying to change and make sure it doesn’t happen again,” said Stafford. “But I’m sure there’s going to be another problem along the way that we’ll have to figure out when we get there. That’s like it’s been the last six months; we’re all alive. are competitions that thousands of players try to test or just try to go out and get our messages.
“That we understand that things will change and we will have to adjust, but I’m glad it’s settled. Glad it’s over, and I’m just glad I’re hanging back with the guys in the building a little bit of normalcy as it goes about football. “
The league changed its test protocol less than a week after Stafford’s false positive. If an asymptomatic person tests positive, the person can now take two additional tests in the next 24 hours and if both return negatively, the person can return to normal activity.
Stafford said there was “some fear” at first when he received his positive test, but that he was asymptomatic – although he knows that many people tested positive when they were asymptomatic. He said it was “a little scary.”
“Everyone has been tested and it all panned out, you know; of course you feel a lot better about it,” Stafford said. “Not to say that, it can happen to anyone. You can be as careful as you want and sometimes it happens.
“That, just at this point, happy, everyone to my knowledge and family and myself are healthy.”
Stafford said he and his wife, Kelly, plan to send their children to school this year if it is an option because “Kelly wants them to interact with other children.”
He said he saw that his sister and Kelly’s sister had their children learn virtual in the spring and appreciated how difficult it can be for families. The COVID-19 false positive and having a newborn daughter at home did not change Stafford’s thoughts about dropping out of the season. He had a conversation with Kelly (who had a brain tumor removed in April 2019) and his family, but he said he never really considered it.
“I never took it seriously,” Stafford said. “I want to play football. I want to be out here. I have a supportive wife and family who know I love doing what I do and knew it was important to me, so they were right on board with me.”
Stafford is returning from a season-ending back injury that cost him the last eight games of the 2019 season. Before his injury, he threw for 2,499 yards, 19 touchdowns and five interceptions.
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