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The coronavirus has made its way to the Worldwide Leader in Sports. According to a report from John Ourand of the Sports Business Journal, two employees at ESPN’s Manhattan office have tested positive for COVID-19.
The news was reported in an internal memo to employees.
“Two of our colleagues, last in the office on March 11 and March 12, in the 77 West 66th Street building, tested positive for COVID-19. In respecting the privacy of these individuals, we cannot share their names,” the memo reportedly read. “We believe all employees who may have come in close contact have been working from home since then, and have been instructed to self-isolate and monitor as medical professionals advise.”
While it is alarming for the network, it doesn’t appear that any of the network’s shows are in any danger of halting production.
The shows are produced at ESPN’s South Street Seaport studios which are in a different part of the city, Ourand added.
The coronavirus mainly comes from animals and a majority of those who were infected early either worked at or frequently visited the Huanan seafood wholesale market in Wuhan, according to The Guardian. The virus is similar to Severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) and Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome (Mers).
The Wuhan coronavirus is transmitted from person to person through “droplet transmission.” That means an infected person can pass the virus by sneezing or coughing on another person as well as by direct contact.
While a majority of the cases have been detected in China, it has now reached many countries around the world including the United States. It has also been confirmed in Italy, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and many other eastern countries.
