Penn State reports first positive COVID-19 test of a student-athlete
It was the first time an athlete tested positive since the return to campus by participants in multiple sports began on June 8. Neither the athlete nor his or her sport was identified.
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Penn State’s athletic department confirmed Thursday that a student-athlete has tested positive for the coronavirus, the first report of a positive test since athletes in football and other sports started returning to campus on June 8.
Neither the student-athlete nor the sport in which he or she participates was identified.
The news was first reported by WPSU, Penn State’s public television station, after the Pennsylvania Health Department reported a positive test result Wednesday in the 16802 zip code, which matches the zip code for the University Park campus.
Penn State athletics confirmed the report in a statement and said protocols established in last month’s return-to-campus plan made by its medical staff would be in effect.
“Individuals with a positive test have been put into isolation for 14 days and retested at that point,” according to the statement. “In addition to isolation, contract tracing procedures have been implemented, which includes quarantine and testing for those individuals who might have been exposed, even if asymptomatic.”
The next report on full testing numbers will be made public Wednesday. Last week, the athletic department said that as of July 10, 178 athletes had been tested for COVID-19. No tests had come back as positive, and 31 were pending.
The statement said all future test results, including positives, will be reported biweekly.