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USC reports another week with no positive COVID-19 tests for its athletes

USC's on-campus protocols for student-athletes who have returned for workouts over the last two months continue to prove highly encouraging.

For the second week in a row, USC reported zero positive COVID-19 tests out of 132 conducted in the last week on athletes across six sports. Since July 18, there has only been one positive test out of 481 and that was for a student-athlete just arriving to campus for the first time as opposed to one who had been going through the required protocols.

In total, USC has reported eight positive tests out of 798 dating back to mid-June when athletes were cleared to return to campus in phases for workouts.

It doesn't change the reality that the Pac-12 has already cancelled all sports until at least Jan. 1 and with USC and conference officials citing the need for more information about the connection between COVID-19 exposure and myocarditis -- an inflammation of the heart muscle.

But it shows that schools with diligent protocols like USC has employed can protect their student-athletes on campus.

USC safety Talanoa Hufanga spoke about the protocols in place earlier this week.

"I'll describe it in two words -- the highest level. I think our coaches have done a great job of protecting us and putting the precautions of different things we have to do just to be able to get into the building, to get out of the building -- social distancing," he said. "You get used to wearing a mask. It's just part of the game and part of what's going on in our current state."

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