Michael Quinn

Three months, 22 teams, 172 games played, staff and eventual guests–the NBA managed all of this in their bubble with zero positive Covid-19 tests. Zero. This was possibly due to the league’s 100-page “rule book” on Covid-19 safety guidelines and protocols for the resumption of the season. Some of these protocols included: wearing masks at all times, aside from the necessary eating and exercising; no outside food; and requiring staff to wear masks and gloves 24/7. The outcome proved these measures to be extremely effective, providing a footprint that the outside world could follow to bring this pandemic to an end. 

The NBA’s 2019-20 season officially came to a close on October 11th, nearly a year after its start. The league was one of the first sports to suspend its season due to Covid-19, and one of the first to hit the restart button in the summer. This did not come easy, as weeks of planning and strict protocols were made to make the “bubble” a reality. That is all it took to produce zero positive tests, which is a staggering number given the length of time they spent in the bubble, plus the number of people there. 

Taking a page out of the NBA’s book on Covid-19 protocols and safety guidelines would certainly help limit the virus. Implementing it within the general public may not see a zero in the category of the positive tests, but it could see a sizable decrease in them. Keep in mind that the NBA did all of this when Covid-19 cases were rising significantly. The bubble started in late July which is when the United States crossed 4 million Covid-19 cases.

John Swartzberg, a disease expert and professor at the University of California stated, “If we could do everywhere what the NBA is doing in its bubble, we would get rid of the virus.”

It may be hard to predict whether the virus will be gone entirely, but it’s safe to say we could limit the spread and positive tests substantially.