Earlier today, Harrison Barnes announced that he tested positive for the Coronavirus. The Kings forward will join the team in Orlando as soon as he is cleared.
Barnes tested positive before the Kings’ departure, meaning he has not been in the bubble yet. Currently, he is self-quarantining and awaiting a negative test. As soon as Barnes can get that, he is expecting to join his teammates in Orlando.
Interestingly, Barnes mentioned in his tweet that he was “primarily asymptomatic.” Pretty much every other NBA player who has tested positive reported no symptoms at all. Rudy Gobert said he experienced a loss in his taste/smell ability, but he is fully recovered now. Hopefully, for Barnes and the Kings, he will see a speedy recovery.
A Question to Ask Ourselves
Why are so many NBA players getting the Coronavirus? Just looking at the numbers alone is shocking.
Roughly 1% of Americans have tested positive for the Coronavirus.
In the NBA, that number is closer to 7%.
Are NBA players getting sick that much more? Surely they are healthier than the average American. There is a simple answer to this question: testing access.
When the NBA season started to fall apart back in March, they had nearly everyone tested. Now, with the safety of the Disney Bubble as a top priority, they are testing even more frequently.
For the rest of Americans, it is much harder to get a test. In most cases, you have to be showing symptoms or pay a hefty fee.
In short, NBA players are not getting sick more than anyone else. They just have better access to testing.
Harrison Barnes was averaging 15 points and 5 rebounds for the season.
