More Texas players test positive for coronavirus

The final two groups of Texas Longhorns players returned to campus on Monday, meaning more tests for coronavirus. According to reports from Anwar Richardson at Orangebloods and Chip Brown at Horns247, four more players tested positive for coronavirus — the team now has six total cases — and around 15 more players are in quarantine after having contact with the players who tested positive.

Last week, Texas head coach Tom Herman discussed what will happen for those 21 or more players. The players who tested positive will be in self-isolation for 14 days. The players who had contact with the players who tested positive will be in quarantine for the same period.

“The factors that I’ve been educated on, one, if you’ve been mask-less and closer to six feet for longer than 15 minutes with someone that has tested positive, whether or not you’re symptomatic, or you might have tested negative, you have to 14-day quarantine, which is different than isolation,” Herman said. “A quarantine is a little bit more lenient than the isolation phase of it if you are positive.”

To begin voluntary workouts, the players who have COVID-19 will need two negative tests. Texas will also conduct additional medical screening for those players due to the organ damage often caused by the disease.

As the healthy players on the team continue voluntary workouts or prepare for the start of those workouts next week, Herman is working to make sure that his players are properly educated about reducing their risk of contracting the virus.

“I know that the biggest mitigation strategy, and the most effective mitigation strategy that we have right now, is educating our players,” Herman said. “One, we as coaches need to be great role models of wearing masks, being socially distant, washing our hands, and washing our masks every time we use them. All of those things. Just the education.”