MLB and the MLB Players Association have jointly announced the results of the initial round of testing for coronavirus. The league says 31 players and seven staff members tested positive for a total of 3,185 people tested.
At first glance, the positivity rate of 1.2% is lower than might have been feared. No previously identified cases appear to be included in the numbers, but the results appear to be promising overall.
That said, the results also highlight current challenges. Nineteen of thirty teams had at least one positive test. While the idea was to detect any incoming infection before it could spread, that ratio shows how far the virus could still penetrate the league if it is able to gain a foothold.
Clearly, baseball is still not out of the woods when it comes to successfully organizing a 2020 season. But it was possible to imagine a world where a large volume of positive evidence would have thrown an immediate hurdle.
There are some caveats here. It’s not entirely clear, but it stands to reason that the league was testing an active infection. Some players may have already recovered from an infection. When comparing with national numbers, it is important to understand the distinction. Then there is the fact that all MLB participants simply took trips, which could pose a risk of emerging infections that were not yet apparent upon arrival.
Having a reasonably manageable starting point certainly represents an important first step. But the real work is yet to come. Preventing the introduction of new sources of infection will require almost universal precautions during the season.
