Sean Payton tests positive for coronavirus
Saints head coach Sean Payton has tested positive for COVID-19.
Payton told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that he began feeling sick on Sunday, took a test on Monday and received his results on Thursday. While he is tired, Payton said he doesn’t have a cough or fever.
“This is not just about social distancing,” Payton told ESPN. “It’s shutting down here for a week to two weeks. If people understand the curve, and understand the bump, we can easily work together as a country to reduce it. Take a minute to understand what the experts are saying. It’s not complicated to do what they’re asking of us. Just that type of small investment by every one of us will have a dramatic impact.
“I was fortunate to be in the minority, without the serious side effects that some have. I’m lucky. Younger people feel like they can handle this, but they can be a carrier to someone who can’t handle it. So we all need to do our part. It’s important for every one of us to do our part.”
Payton is the first person in the NFL known to have tested positive for COVID-19.
There are more than 218,700 confirmed cases of the coronavirus globally across at least 147 countries. Louisiana is one of the states to have the highest number of confirmed cases in the country with 280. New York has the most with 3,083 cases.