Just a friendly reminder to everyone: Don’t joke about the pandemic. It’s not worth the clout.
This morning, Utah Jazz player Rudy Gobert reportedly tested positive for Coronavirus. Only days before, the NBA player made a joke of touching everything in a press conference.
So…here is Rudy touching all the mics following Mondays shoot around that has some people concerned… #TakeNote #utahjazz #CoronaVirus pic.twitter.com/dr4auECTr4
— Dave Fox (@Davefox2) March 12, 2020
The conference happened last Monday after a Utah Jazz shootaround. Before leaving the podium, Gobert made an unnecessary joke: to touch all the microphones on the table before he left. No one’s laughing now, are they?
Reports say it’s undetermined how many people handled or came close to the mics afterwards. The teams at the venue, namely Utah Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder, were quarantined in their respective locker rooms. The entire NBA season has also been suspended until further notice.
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According to The Atlantic reporter Shams Charia, Gobert was feeling strong and well enough to play even though he tested positive. It’s a reminder to everyone that even if you may not have blatant symptoms of any illnesses, it’s still common courtesy to amp up your hygiene practices—which includes not touching shared surfaces as much as possible.
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So friends, the moral of the story is to stay safe, both for your sake and everyone else’s. Sanitize your phones, consult doctors over the phone if you feel like you’re exhibiting symptoms and stay informed.