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The Miami Marlins season has come to a screeching halt. On Monday, July 27, it was announced that the team’s home opener against the Baltimore Orioles has been canceled after a coronavirus outbreak in the Marlins clubhouse.
After four players tested positive for the novel coronavirus COVID-19 during the opening series against the Philadelphia Phillies, eight additional players and two coaches have tested positive, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal.
Among the players who consented to disclose their positive tests were catcher Jorge Alfaro, outfielders Garrett Cooper and Harold Ramirez, and pitcher Jose Urena.
What this means for the future of the Marlins season remains to be seen.
It also goes to show the importance of isolating players during the pandemic. Since MLS restarted its season two weeks ago, there have been no positive tests.
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The coronavirus outbreak has led to the cancellation or postponing of many large events including the NCAA Tournament, Coachella, SXSW, the Winter X Games, Stagecoach, Ultra Music Festival in Miami, and more. The NBA, NHL, and MLS temporarily suspended their seasons.
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 the United States and China — with more than 4.3 million confirmed cases and 149,000 deaths in the United States — it has now reached many countries around the world. It has also been confirmed in Italy, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and many other eastern countries.
