The total number of COVID-19 deaths in the United States is over 197,000 this morning, but sports news is heralding the return of Big 10 football. I have so many questions:
How many schools are there in the Big 10 conference? There are 14.
How many COVID-19 cases are there in the Big 10 schools. The NY Times reports 8533 this morning.
How often will Big 10 football players be tested for COVID-19? Daily.
How many players does that include? NCAA rules allow teams to carry 125 on a roster, so up to 1750.
So 1750 COVID-19 tests? No, 1750 tests a day, beginning September 30, with a season extending to late December. Figure roughly 150,000.
Are any of the Big Ten schools coronavirus hotspots? Ohio State has over 1500 cases, Iowa over 1600, Illinois over 1700. Wisconsin has 1000 but more than 40 of those are football payers and coaches.
Are other students at those schools receiving this level of testing? No.
Are these universities the worst coronavirus hotspots in Big Ten states? Absolutely not. Prisons, nursing homes, and food processing plants are worse everywhere. Consider the University of Iowa. Those 1600 documented cases at the university are concerning, but they represent 5% of the student body. By contrast, consider Tyson Foods, also in Iowa. There were 591 cases among 2500 workers at the Tyson Foods plant in Storm Lake, Iowa (23%), 1031 cases among 2800 workers at their Waterloo, Iowa plant (37%), and 730 cases among 1200 workers at their Perry, Iowa plant (61%).
Are meatpacking workers receiving daily testing? No.
What about protective equipment? The President issued an executive order declaring those workers to be essential and exempting their employers from any requirement to upgrade health and safety protections.
Do the employers provide meatpacking workers with personal protective equipment? Yes, one N95 mask a day. Usually the mask is completely soaked in blood after two hours of work.
How is this different than the professional sports leagues? The most important difference is that NCAA athletes receive no compensation. The school gets paid, the ADs and coaches get paid, the TV broadcasters get paid, the video game companies get paid, the jersey merchants get paid… everybody gets paid but the athletes.
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