Chris Mack Tests Positive

Louisville head coach Chris Mack is the latest college basketball figure to test positive for Covid-19.

Louisville’s next game, versus Pitt on Wednesday, has been postponed.

In an interesting twist, former Waking e Forest coach Dino Gaudio will be the interim coach for the Cardinals.

Fortunately for Mack, he has mild symptoms and should make a full recovery and the truth is that most people involved in college basketball, particularly Power Five programs, have minimal risks.

Why?

Because they get tested frequently and also have access to top-flight medical care. Smaller schools probably have more risk but even so, they get tested on a regular basis and get intervention quickly. It’s just not at Duke or UNC or Virginia’s celebrated medical centers or other fine medical centers.

Both Louisville and Pitt have seen the pandemic cause chaos but the problems are, relatively speaking, minor compared to what a lot of people have had to deal with. A sense of perspective about these things is important, including not getting too excited about advances in treatment.

Still, it’s hard not to get excited about this news out of Israel where researchers believe that a new drug called EXO-CD24 may provide a cure for Covid-19.

A small trial of 30 people with moderate to severe symptoms saw 29 discharged within three days and the 30th a couple of days later.

It’s very early in the process but it’s encouraging. It’s far over our heads but the basic idea is that it prevents cytokine storms.