Minnesota Vikings News: Head trainer tests positive for COVID-19

Monday started with some Minnesota Vikings news that Eric Sugarman has tested positive for COVID-19.

On Tuesday, the Minnesota Vikings players are expected to check into the team facilities to begin the initial process for this year’s training camp.

Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, part of the check-in process this summer includes each player being tested for the virus. Each member of the roster will have to test negative three times within a four-day period in order to move on and take their physical.

The guy in charge of setting up all of the proper protocols and rules at the Vikings practice facility to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 is the team’s head athletic trainer, Eric Sugarman. On Monday, Sugarman and Minnesota revealed that he has tested positive for the virus.

Vikings News: What happens now after Eric Sugarman tests positive for COVID-19?

After learning of their head trainer’s positive test, the Vikings released a statement to the public on Monday to inform everyone what the team is currently doing.

"“We learned over the weekend Minnesota Vikings Head Athletic Trainer and Vice President of Sports Medicine and the team’s Infection Control Officer Eric Sugarman, along with members of his family, tested positive for COVID-19.Eric immediately shared his results with the organization and began to follow the previously established comprehensive protocol created by the NFL and national and local health experts. Eric and his family are currently in self-quarantine and providing daily updates on their well-being.We have followed the team’s protocol for sanitizing the facility and for notifying any personnel who may have been in close contact with Eric. Those individuals have been tested and are returning under the established guidelines. Eric has not had recent contact with players, and no additional cases within the Vikings front office have been identified at this time.Eric will continue to fulfill his role as the team’s ICO virtually as much as possible, and his athletic training staff and other Vikings personnel will assist where necessary. We wish Eric and his family a quick and full recovery and look forward to him returning to the Vikings when appropriate.The health and safety of every member of our organization, our fans and of the broader community is paramount. We encourage everyone to take this virus seriously and to practice the established precautions.”"

Sugarman also released a statement of his own to update the public on his current health status as well as the health status of his family members who also tested positive for the virus.

"“This weekend my family and I tested positive for COVID-19. We immediately quarantined and began to follow the established protocols. At this time we are all doing fine and experiencing only mild symptoms.I have an immense amount of pride in the effort I have personally put forth to protect the NFL family, the Minnesota Vikings organization and our community with thoughtfulness and decision-making based on the current science over these last four months. I am humble to be serving in that capacity as it has been some of the most rewarding work of my career. But as I sit here in quarantine, it is clear this virus does not discriminate. It should continue to be taken seriously. I encourage people to take the necessary precautions and follow guidelines that have been established nationally and locally.At this time I am taking care of myself and my family and am focused on their health and recovery. I will return to the Vikings and my role after following the proper protocols.”"

From everything that has been reported on the team during the last few weeks, they’ve appeared to be taking the proper precautions and measures to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. But this virus has proven time and time again over the past few months that it can sometimes still infect a person regardless of how careful they have been to avoid it.

In their statement, Minnesota did make sure to say that Sugarman had zero contact with any players on the team’s roster. However, it’s possible that he could have made contact with other members of the organization including Vikings coaches and staff.

Minnesota has said that no other members of the front office have tested positive for the virus and those who have come in contact with Sugarman recently have been tested can return to the team facility once they have completed the COVID-19 guidelines that have been previously established by the franchise.

It seems like the Vikings are taking this virus very seriously, but perhaps Sugarman testing positive will make the team take even more precautions to prevent it from spreading to members of the organization who could be regarded as high risk.

Luckily, Sugarman revealed that both he and his family have only been experiencing mild symptoms since testing positive for COVID-19. Hopefully, that’s as bad as it gets and they are all able to get back to 100 percent health sooner than later.