New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton, who tested positive for COVID-19 last week, stated doctors “cleared” him Tuesday.
“I’m feeling a lot better,” Payton said on WWL Radio on Wednesday, via Jeff Duncan of TheAthletic.com.
“Prince Charles caught it today, right?” Payton said. “It doesn’t matter if you live in a castle or an apartment. No one is too immune to it.”
He was also asked about the criticism he received after he went out to Oaklawn Park in Arkansas the day before he woke up with fever, chills and weakness.
“Hey, if I would have known I had this [COVID-19], I wouldn’t have been at the races,” Payton said. “And I had [flu-like] symptoms, so I was eligible for the test.”
Payton told Adam Schefter last week that he chose to announce his positive test because he wants all people to heed the warnings of government officials.
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“This is not just about social distancing,” Payton told ESPN. “It’s shutting down here for a week to two weeks. If people understand the curve, and understand the bump, we can easily work together as a country to reduce it. Take a minute to understand what the experts are saying. It’s not complicated to do what they’re asking of us. Just that type of small investment by every one of us will have a dramatic impact.
“I was fortunate to be in the minority, without the serious side effects that some have. I’m lucky. Younger people feel like they can handle this, but they can be a carrier to someone who can’t handle it. So we all need to do our part. It’s important for every one of us to do our part.”
Payton was the first person in the NFL known to have tested positive for the virus.
