The St. Louis Cardinals have not played since July 29 because of the team's ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak that has seen nine players and seven staff members test positive for the virus. During a radio appearance on Sunday, Cardinals manager Mike Shildt revealed that multiple members of the team have had to go to the emergency room because they were experiencing symptoms.
Shildt did not specify what the specific symptoms were, but they can include fever and chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, loss of taste or smell, headache, and/or nausea, according to the CDC. Braves' Freddie Freeman experienced severe symptoms, including body aches, headaches, chills and a fever that reached 104.5 degrees at one point, when he suffered from COVID-19 last month.
Here's what Shildt told KMOX/1120 AM:
By and large, people are in a pretty good spot. There are people that have symptoms, and have had a few visits to the ER for some IVs and a little more clarity. Nobody has had to stay. But there are people dealing with -- I mean, this is real. And people are experiencing a lot of the symptoms that we hear about, that are associated with this. A variety of them are experiencing multiple ones. Seems like they rotate with them. And again, nobody is in close to any critical shape, but people are having to deal with some things that aren't comfortable at all. And hopefully we can get that behind them. They're getting great care.
The Cardinals COVID-19 outbreak has left their (and other teams') 2020 schedule in disarray. The league has announced a total of 24 total game postponements, due to the Cardinals outbreak as well as the Marlins outbreak earlier this season. MLB announced an updated schedule for the teams impacted by positive COVID-19 tests on Friday.
It's unclear when the Cardinals will return to the field. As of now, the club is scheduled to face the Pirates for a three-game series at Busch Stadium beginning Monday, but that series is expected to be postponed as well. If that happens, the Cardinals will go at least 14 days between games. They have played only five games this season. The Cardinals had been quarantining in their Milwaukee hotel room following the outbreak.
Although coronavirus is considered a respiratory illness, the disease can impact a number of systems and organs. That includes possible effects on the heart and the brain. Red Sox's Eduardo Rodriguez, who developed a heart issue from COVID-19, was shut down for 2020 MLB season. More than 160,000 Americans have died from COVID-19.
