Oklahoma State football player says he tested positive for COVID-19 after attending protest

Ali Gostanian
·2 min read

An Oklahoma State University football player says he tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus, after attending a protest in Tulsa.

Linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga wrote on his Twitter account on Tuesday that he had tested positive for the virus, even though he said he protected himself while attending the protest.

While he said he was not able to conclude that he had contracted the virus at the demonstration, he wanted to warn others to remain cautious and protect themselves, noting that he was completely asymptomatic.

He elaborated in a follow up tweet, saying the protective measures he took had possibly curbed the spread of the virus.

“Please, if you are going to protest, take care of yourself and stay safe,” Ogbongbemiga wrote on his Twitter account.

Before announcing he had tested positive, the Oklahoma State University football team had released a safe return plan, detailing safety procedures if a player tested positive for COVID-19, NBC News affiliate KJRH reported.

The athlete would be quarantined and moved to separate housing and contact tracing would be done with the help of local and state health departments. The player would then have to test negative for COVID-19 before returning to play.

In a statement to KJRH, the Tulsa Health Department urged residents to take caution and protect themselves if they planned to participate in protests over the death of George Floyd.

“All residents are encouraged to exercise their right to gather and protest safely, which includes wearing a cloth face covering to protect those around you, use hand sanitizer when soap and water are not readily available, practice social distancing, and avoid touching your face,” the department told KJRH. “We want to encourage residents to use their voice, but do so safely.”

As of Wednesday, more than 6,800 people have tested positive and 341 people have died from coronavirus in Oklahoma, according to data on the Oklahoma State Department of Health’s website.