Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg was clearly not feeling well during his team’s Big Ten Tournament game against Indiana on Wednesday night, and it was only natural to speculate if he had contracted Coronavirus. Fortunately, he did not.
Hoiberg looked miserable on the bench during the game, and there was talk that Nebraska players and staffers would have to quarantine depending upon what was going on with Hoiberg. He left the game and was diagnosed with influenza A at the hospital, which is a form of the common cold. With Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert having tested positive for Coronavirus around the same time, that was a big relief.
On Thursday, Hoiberg released a statement saying he was cleared by a doctor prior to Wednesday’s game and would “never do anything that would put my team, family, or anyone else in harm’s way.
— Fred Hoiberg (@CoachHoiberg) March 12, 2020
It’s unclear how a doctor was so confident Hoiberg did not have Coronavirus without an actual test. The symptoms mimic those of the common cold or flu, and they range in severity. That is part of what makes COVID-19 so dangerous, as it may cause cause symptoms that are so mild that people don’t know they have it. Those people can then pass it on to others who are more susceptible to serious complications from the virus.
While Hoiberg’s situation turned out fine, several prominent people are calling for the NCAA to postpone March Madness. The NBA has suspended its season in the wake of Gobert’s positive test, and it seems like only a matter of time before other organizations and leagues do the same.
