An Oklahoma State football player says he tested positive for COVID-19 after attending a protest in Tulsa

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An Oklahoma State football player says he tested positive for COVID-19 after attending a protest in Tulsa
Oklahoma State linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga is pictured during an NCAA college football media day in Stillwater, Oklahoma, on August 3, 2019.AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki
  • Oklahoma State linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga tested positive for COVID-19 after attending a protest in Tulsa.
  • He said on Twitter that he protected himself during the protest.
  • He was tested by the Oklahoma State University after returning to campus with other athletes.
  • It's unclear when or where Ogbongbemiga contracted the virus, though COVID-19's incubation period can be anywhere from three to 14 days.
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Oklahoma State linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga says he tested positive for COVID-19 after attending a protest in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Ogbongbemiga said on Twitter Tuesday night that he tested positive and protected himself at the protest he attended.

"After attending a protest in Tulsa AND being well protective of myself, I have tested positive for COVID-19. Please, if you are going to protest, take care of yourself and stay safe," Ogbongbemiga said.

It's unclear where Ogbongbemiga contracted the virus, though COVID-19's incubation period can be anywhere from three to 14 days, and he may have come in contact with it days before attending the protest. The virus can be contagious 48 to 72 hours before a person experiences symptoms, according to Harvard Medical School.

Insider previously reported that outdoor demonstrations don't pose a massively increased risk of coronavirus infection to attendees because viruses don't spread as well in open air, and wearing a mask or face shield can add extra protection when in close contact with other protesters who are talking, chanting, or yelling.

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Ogbongbemiga, a rising senior from Canada, returned to Oklahoma State's campus this week along with 29 other players who were part of the school's first phase of relaunching its athletics program during the coronavirus pandemic.

A source told ESPN that Ogbongbemiga and all other players, coaches, and staff had been tested for COVID-19 upon returning, per school protocol.

Ogbongbemiga will quarantine in on-campus housing, separated from his teammates and other athletes, ESPN reported, and on Friday the school plans on retesting him.

Oklahoma State also plans on conducting contact tracing and testing Ogbongbemiga's "cohort/workout group," ESPN reported.

Oklahoma State's football coach Mike Gundy faced criticism earlier this year after saying he wanted players back on campus on May 1, saying anyone who tested positive would be "quarantined just like we do people that get the flu," ESPN reported.

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