Opinion on COVID-19 tests usage by sports teams in the U.S. 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic that spread across the world in 2020 was not only a big threat to public health, but also to the entire sports industry. Many sports leagues were postponed indefinitely based on recommendations to restrict large gatherings of people. When professional sports leagues eventually began to resume, stringent testing was put in place to protect the wellbeing of players and staff. This use of testing resources came under some media scrutiny, with some questioning whether carrying out tests on professional sports teams was the most effective use of these resources. During a July 2020 survey in the United States, 74 percent of respondents stated that it was acceptable to run COVID-19 tests on players in order for them to be able to return to play.
