Did Richard Sherman contract and recover from COVID-19 (coronavirus)? The San Francisco 49ers cornerback thinks it's possible. In fact, he says he is "pretty sure" he had it "a while ago." Of course, nothing is certain, and it only seems to be a belief. From his remarks on Thursday, it doesn't sound as though the cornerback has been tested for antibodies.
Sherman's statement came via Twitter while responding to Geoff Pilkington of Launch TV, who theorized that the virus might have impacted a far greater number of people than what is being reported. People, like Pilkington, may have contracted the virus, shown minor symptoms, recovered, and never have known.
I think the asymptomatic cases are far greater than we think. I got tested out of curiosity. I was negative for the virus and then positive for antibodies and had no idea I ever had the virus.
— Geoff Pilkington (@geoffpilkington) May 7, 2020
Sherman believes he may have also been within that segment of the population.
I agree I'm pretty sure I had it a while ago. But it's like where do we go from here
— Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) May 7, 2020
While New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton was the first confirmed case within the NFL, the league has only had two players—center Brian Allen of the Los Angeles Rams and linebacker Von Miller of the Denver Broncos—officially test positive. Or, at least, that has been reported.
In both those instances, each player came out himself and announced that he had contracted the virus.
"One thing, as you're working with your team, legally I'm not at liberty to share certain things with people," general manager John Lynch said in April when asked if anyone within the 49ers organization had contracted the virus. "That's up to certain people. So, I'm just going to leave it at that."
Sherman, on Thursday, expressed frustration via Twitter over the response to the pandemic.
It also doesn't always happen. There isn't always a vaccine. So thinking we wait and hope for one when one may never comes seems like poor planning. Maybe come up with an alternative plan for the likely scenario of no vaccine
— Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) May 7, 2020
Still seems like everyone is spitballing about COVID 19 even the "experts". We understand it's a "Novel" virus so I'm guess that makes every novices on how to combat it right? I'm simply trying to understand a solution other than stay in the house forever.
— Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) May 7, 2020