Editor’s note: The original headline and story incorrectly stated that staff members of the Hurricanes were tested for COVID-19. We apologize for the error.

This is weird.

Do you hold off on this story? Do you tell this story in a column? Do you force those involved to respond?

Nobody knows.

Sometimes things are better left ignored, but sometimes folks deserve to know what’s going on with the athletes when their favorite league pauses for the season.

As the hours wane in what feels like some post-apocalyptic movie, as I feel like I’m winning the silent competition of “Who has the cleanest hands in America,” I can’t stop oscillating between morbid humor and outright panic about the global pandemic that has rightfully paused our nation.

What was once a must-win tear throughout the Metropolitan Division — one the Hurricanes lived up to — turned into an unprecedented paused season.

The season is postponed.

But when did that happen? Why did that happen? How did those who rely on the season happening react?

Let’s start with the why: The coronavirus was a growing issue, but when did it become impossible to ignore?

When did you realize this was sort of a big deal?

Mike Sundheim, vice president of Hurricanes communications and team services: “I think just reading some of the stories and accounts from Italy, we could start understanding just how serious this could get for people here. So it felt important that we take some responsibility in how we could personally play a role in the spread, given our travel and the crowds at the games. At the start of our trip, our doctors suggested that we tell the guys to avoid signing autographs or having contact with fans, so I think that was a wake-up call for just how seriously the medical community was taking this.”

That was about the time the Hurricanes were traveling from Long Island to Detroit. I’d already been given my last one-on-one interview — from Jaccob Slavin, about Brett Pesce.

Then, while in Detroit …

Sundheim: “At the end of the day, the moment that turned the whole conversation was the doctor running on the court in Oklahoma City. It didn’t take long after that for us to realize that Rudy Gobert had played a game in Detroit just before our arrival there.”

There’s a popular Detroit hotel athletes tend to stay at. Unfortunately, that coincided with the Utah Jazz’s stay and the Carolina Hurricanes’ check-in less than 24 hours later. The Hurricanes stayed at the same hotel as the Jazz. Play-by-play announcer John Forslund discovered that he stayed in the same room as an infected person had less than 48 hours earlier.

When did folks realize they were at risk, and what happened next?

Forslund: “Mike told me I might’ve stayed in the same room as (Gobert) and because of that we’re gonna make some changes. He said, ‘You’re still gonna fly with us.’ Then I got on the phone with Dr. Josh Bloom, and he said to just be extra aware of things.

“Enough time elapsed between when (Gobert) left and when I got in the room that (Forslund) should be all right,” Sundheim and experts said. “We’re just gonna take the precautions.”

“I don’t have symptoms, so that’s good — and I am not alone in this,” Forslund said. “To a lot of people, my day is normal. I have a set routine, and it didn’t change. I just figured once the NHL settled it, (we) would have to follow suit.”

When was it over?

Sundheim: “We talked about it this morning at breakfast. My impressions from a lot of the guys seemed to match my own feelings — we’re pretty much ready to get home to our loved ones.”

Digital content producer Zack Brame: “I kinda had a feeling; I was a little nervous about getting it. I obviously took precautions from our awesome medical staff.”

To clarify, Brame also slept in the room of someone who tested positive. Along with Gobert, Donovan Mitchell, tested positive for the COVID-19.

Brame: “I was told, ‘Hey, you slept in a room where someone on an NBA team might have (the coronavirus).’

“I’m trying (not to freak out). I went from not worrying at all to being scared to being what I am right now. Now I’m just scared — like, no one’s ever lived through something like this before. And, I mean, yeah, I’m not gonna bullshit. I got that sinking feeling where your ears ring and your vision gets kind of blurry — I could not believe that (hearing he was at risk) after everything I did. The scariest thing is just sitting here and waiting to see if I have it or not.”

So, what’s next?

Tom Dundon, team owner: “I think it’s gonna take longer to sort this out. And this isn’t the NHL’s position, this is me looking at life. Two to three weeks is probably not realistic.”

So we probably won’t arrive at a solution in three weeks.

(Photo of Rod Brind’Amour: John McCreary / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)