Name: Saints' Sean Payton tests positive for coronavirus, says he's 'feeling better'
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Saints' Sean Payton tests positive for coronavirus, says he's 'feeling better'

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You are the owner of this article.You have permission to edit this article.New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton tested positive for the novel , he announced Thursday after receiving his results.Payton is the first person in NFL circles to come forward about testing positive for COVID-19.Payton told ESPN and the NFL Network that he didn't feel well starting on Sunday, took the test Monday and received the results Thursday afternoon. It is not known at this time where Payton obtained his test.The Saints' skipper has not been hospitalized, and does not have a high fever nor any respiratory issues. He is currently quarantining at home for four more days and he said he's "feeling better" now than he was earlier in the week.Payton, 56, posted a selfie with one of his dogs to Twitter on Thursday, saying he appreciated the well-wishes he received after ESPN's Adam Schefter first reported t.Appreciate the well wishes. I'm feeling better and fortunate to not have any of the respiratory symptoms. 4 more days at home. — Sean Payton (@SeanPayton) NFL commissioner Roger Goodell released a statement on Thursday evening regarding Payton's diagnosis.&nbsp;"Our primary concern is for Sean's health and well-being," Goodell wrote. "He did the right thing by seeking medical attention and we wish him a speedy recovery.&nbsp;"It shouldn't come as a surprise as this pandemic continues that members of our NFL family will be directly impacted. This news underscores the importance of everyone following the advice from medical and public health experts to protect themselves and others."&nbsp;In accordance with temporary NFL rules, Payton and the rest of the Saints' camp have been conducting free agency remotely via video chat and phone calls.&nbsp;COVID-19 is a member of the coronavirus family, which includes viruses that cause common colds and others that result in more serious illnesses, such as SARS and MERS.The novel coronavirus — meaning this specific strain hadn't been previously found in humans — can cause fever, coughing, wheezing and pneumonia. However, it doesn't always come with those symptoms, as evidenced by what Payton reported.It is not known where or when Payton came into contact with the virus, but he was at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas, for the Rebel Stakes the day before feeling ill.Since Payton announced his diagnosis, New Orleans native horse trainer Tom Amoss &nbsp;after&nbsp;interacting with Payton at the Rebel Stakes. As of Thursday, Amoss said he had no symptoms and "will get tested at the earliest possible time."Payton was interviewed at Oaklawn by TVG about the NFL calendar and how important it was to take the coronavirus seriously.&nbsp;"The thing that's lost in it all is for us that are maybe younger, it's one thing," Payton said Saturday, five days before testing positive. "We could become infected and become carriers, but the way you must feel if you're an older person — that's something that you would never want ... to have that fear of being in that age group that's affected the most. I think that's certainly frightening."Payton came forward regarding his diagnosis because, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, he wants all people to heed the warnings of government officials, stay inside and behave responsibly.Reporter Emily Woodruff shares weekly updates and insights on local health news, including COVID coverage and medical research. Sign up today."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."As of Thursday afternoon, 392 cases of coronavirus had been reported in the state of Louisiana; 249 of those were reported in Orleans Parish.Louisiana's first case of coronavirus was diagnosed March 9, but health officials have said COVID-19 likely has been in New Orleans since Mardi Gras late last month.At least four people from three other southeastern states tested positive after visiting New Orleans for Carnival season."The concern with Louisiana is the amount of people that come in and out of this area after Mardi Gras season," Payton told ESPN. "This is an area that doctors are concerned about. So our parents, and those that are more susceptible to this virus, deserve everyone doing their best to combat it."There are hundreds of people right now in tough predicaments, fighting for their lives. Let's be part of the solution, not the problem. We can easily help reduce the numbers of those impacted. We have to do our best to beat this and I know we can."Payton is far from the only sports figure who has tested positive.The dominoes in the NBA began to fall when Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for the virus on March 11. The game between the Jazz and the Oklahoma City Thunder was immediately postponed upon Gobert's positive diagnosis and the league as a whole was suspended shortly thereafter.The New Orleans Pelicans were set to play against the Sacramento Kings that night in California, but after word spread that one of their officials had worked a Jazz game in the days prior, that game was postponed too.The official — Courtney Kirkland, a Southern alumnus — later tested negative for the virus, according to ESPN.Several other NBA players who had been in close proximity to Gobert before his diagnosis have tested positive too, including Jazz teammate Donovan Mitchell, Detroit Pistons forward Christian Wood, four Brooklyn Nets players including Kevin Durant and four Philadelphia 76ers. No Pelicans players have been reported as testing positive.Payton isn't the first coach/manager to test positive; Premier League club Arsenal announced last week that its manager, Mikel Arteta, had also had COVID-19.The fact that athletes and other celebrities with mild or no symptoms are getting access to tests before the symptomatic public has drawn controversy.After the entire Brooklyn Nets team was tested, New York City mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted, "We wish them a speedy recovery. But, with all due respect, an entire NBA team should NOT get tested for COVID-19 while there are critically ill patients waiting to be tested. Tests should not be for the wealthy, but for the sick."When President Trump was asked Wednesday if the well-connected get to bypass the line for testing, he said, "No, I wouldn't say so, but perhaps that's the story of life. That does happen on occasion, and I've noticed where people have been tested fairly quickly."Email Amie Just at .© Copyright 2022 , 840 St. Charles Avenue New Orleans, LA&nbsp;| &nbsp;|Powered by from .

You are the owner of this article.You have permission to edit this article.New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton tested positive for the novel , he announced Thursday after receiving his results.Payton is the first person in NFL circles to come forward about testing positive for COVID-19.Payton told ESPN and the NFL Network that he didn't feel well starting on Sunday, took the test Monday and received the results Thursday afternoon. It is not known at this time where Payton obtained his test.The Saints' skipper has not been hospitalized, and does not have a high fever nor any...

Saints' Sean Payton tests positive for coronavirus, says he's 'feeling better'

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