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Report: False-positive COVID-19 test forces Ohio State LB to the sideline for Penn State game
Published:
For the first time this season, Ohio State will have to deal with a significant absence thanks in part to coronavirus testing.
Justin Hilliard, a veteran linebacker, tested positive today in his first test after arriving at Penn State. However, that proved to be a false positive. Regardless, Hilliard will have to stand on the sideline and watch his Buckeye teammates take on the Nittany Lions in a primetime showdown.
BREAKING: Ohio State linebacker Justin Hilliard won't play tonight at Penn State thanks to a false-positive COVID-19 test, according to @LettermenRow sources. The senior will be allowed on the sideline and can travel with the team. https://t.co/VnNLwwrb9Q
— Austin Ward (@AWardSports) October 31, 2020
The first test that showed positive was a rapid response test. Those are considered to be less accurate than the typical COVID test. Once Hilliard tested positive in the rapid test, he received a more accurate test that showed the linebacker did not have the virus.
But despite the negative test, Hilliard is not allowed to play Saturday night. He did travel with the team, however, and will be allowed to stand on the sideline during Saturday’s game.
False positives have been an issue in the early part of the season. Penn State coach James Franklin revealed earlier this week that an undisclosed player missed the Indiana game because of a false positive.