Coronavirus in Maryland: The latest map, numbers, links to get help Share Shares Copy Link Copy

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JASON: M&T BANK STADIUM WILL STAY EMPTY THIS SEASON WITH NO FANS IN THE STANDS BECAUSE OF THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC. BUT WHAT ABOUT YOUTH SPORTS? WE SPOKE WITH THE DOCTOR FROM NORTHWEST HOSPITAL ABOUT WHAT THIS ALL COULD MEAN AS YOUR KIDS AT BACK TO THE FIELD. JOINING US ONCE AGAIN IS DOCTOR AS WE SPEND THIS SHOW TALKING ABOUT SPORTS, WE KNOW THE RAVENS WILL NOT HAVE FANS. BUT THERE ARE SOME FAMILIES WHERE YOUTH SPORTS HAVE STARTED UP, AND THERE IS CONCERN NOT JUST FOR THE ATHLETE, BUT FOR THE FANS WILL GO OUT TO SEE THEIR CAN PLAY. WHAT KINDS OF PRECAUTIONS SHOULD THEY BE TAKING? >> IT DEPENDS ON WHAT COUNTY AND WHAT YOUR POSITIVITY RATE IS IN YOUR JURISDICTION. THE BIGGEST THING IS, WHEN YOU GO TO THE GAMES, PLEASE CONTINUE TO SOCIALLY DISTANCE. I KNOW IT IS COMMON TO INTERACT WITH OTHER PEOPLE, BUT IF YOU ARE GOING TO, TRY TO WEAR A MASK. AT THIS POINT, I WOULD SAY ADVOCATE FOR ONLY ONE PARENT TO GO, OR OBSERVE FROM YOUR CAR. JASON: I HAVE SEEN A RANGE OF DIFFERENT SPORTS NEAR US, THERE IS A BASEBALL TEAM THE PRACTICES, GIRLS FIELD HOCKEY. IF YOU DECIDE IT IS SAFE ENOUGH FOR MY CHILD SUPPLY, ARE THERE THINGS THE ATHLETE SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT, AS WELL? >> DEFINITEL UNFORTUNATELY, A LOT OF CONTACT SPORTS, EVEN IF IT IS BASEBALL, FOR EXAMPLE, THE MARLINS HAD AN OUTBREAK AND THAT CHANGED A LOT IN BASEBALL. THE PLAYERS, WHEN THEY START TO GET ON THE BASES, THEY WANTED TO START WEARING MASKS. IT IS HARD TO GET KIDS TO DO IT, BUT IF YOU CAN WEAR A MASK, I WOULD CONTINUE TO DO SO. YOUTH SPORTS ARE NOT LIKE PROFESSIONAL SPORTS -- THESE GUYS ARE GETTING TESTED EVERY DAY OR EVERY OTHER DAY. WE DON’T HAVE THOSE TESTING CAPABILITIES FOR YOUTH SPORTS. JASON: WE WERE TALKING OFF CAMERA, SOME SPORTS WILL ALLOW FANS. COLLEGE FOOTBALL, AS WELL. IF YOU ARE AN ALUM OF ONE OF THESE TEAMS THAT WILL ALLOW FANS, YOU GO IN A GROUP. LET’S SAY THAT YOU DO TRAVEL AND YOU DO THE WHOLE TAILGATING THING, SAME RULES APPLY, AS MUCH AS YOU WANT TO BE AROUND PEOPLE, YOU HAVE TO BE MINDFUL. >> EXACTLY. AS UNIVERSITIES OPEN UP, THEY HAVE BECOME BASICALLY CENTERS FOR SPREADING EVENTS. THE EFFECT TO SHUT DOWN. ON ONE HAND, YOUR STUDENT POPULATION, THEN TO DO A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT ARGUMENT WITH YOUR STUDENT-ATHLETES, IT IS HYPOCRITICAL TO BE PERFECLY BLUNT. JASON: TALK ABOUT POSITIVITY RATES -- I AM SORRY TO SPRING THIS ON YOU BUT I ASSUME YOU HAVE A HANDLE ON IT. ONE RELIES ON PEOPLE BEING RETESTED SOMETIMES, CAN YOU CLEARED THAT UP FOR ME? THE LINE IS SUPPOSED TO BE 5% WE ARE TAPING THIS ON A THURSDAY, JHU HAS US ABOVE 5%. >> THE WAY JHU IS DOING IT IS MORE REALISTIC ABOUT HOW THINGS ARE GOING. THE WAY THE OTHER NUMBERS ARE, FOR EXAMPLE, IF I GOT TESTED THREE TIMES AND ALL THREE OF THEM WERE NEGATIVE, THAT WILL LOWER YOUR OVERALL PERCENTAGE, BUT REALLY, I AM JUST ONE INDIVIDUAL. THE WAY JHU IS DOING IT -- THEY DON’T CARE IF I GOT THREE TESTS, I AM ONE PERSON SO IT COUNTS AS ONE NEGATIVE, AS OPPOSED TO THREE NEGATIVE TESTS. A WHOLE POPULATION, IN TERMS OF EPIDEMIOLOGY, IT IS BETTER THE WAY JHU IS DOING IT. JASON: WE CHECK IN WITH YOU A LOT ON OUR SHOW AND THE WEEKLY NEWS PROGRAM, AS FAR AS WHAT YOU ARE SEEING. WHAT DOES THE TREND LOOK LIKE AT THIS POINT? >> THE TREND OVERALL IN THE HOSPITAL IS WE KIND OF HIT A PLATEAU. WE ARE STILL SEEING COVID PATIENTS AND IT HAS NOT GONE AWAY. THERE WILL BE MANY SURGES OR WE WILL HAVE A COUPLE DAYS OF INCREASES, AND THEN SOME DAYS IT GOES DOWN. FOR THE MOST PART IT HAS PLATEAUED. OVER THE LAST SEVEN MONTHS, WE HAVE GOTTEN BETTER AT TREATING IT, SEEING THE SYMPTOMS AND MANAGING PATIENTS A LOT BETTER. IT IS NICE WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A HANDLE ON IT, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THERE ARE STILL SEVERE ILLNESSES GOING FROM THE YOUNG TO THE OLD. JASON: ALW