‘Late-Night Snacking’ Only COVID Symptom for David Ross

David Ross missed his second game Saturday after testing positive for COVID-19 and being away is making him a little stir crazy, according to acting manager Andy Green. Neither Ross nor team president Jed Hoyer, both of whom are vaccinated, have been able to comment directly since testing positive, so everything is coming through Green and other sourced reports.

One of those reports is that the Cubs are still not close to reaching the 85% vaccination threshold for relaxed protocols, which led them to issue a vaccine mandate for all non-playing personnel. Falling short of the threshold has been an ongoing source of frustration throughout the organization all season. Hoyer called it a competitive disadvantage and Kris Bryant indicated recently that vaccination status may have weighed on players’ minds in Chicago.

“It’s really just peace of mind knowing that the people around you did what they need to do to help protect the team and help us get through the season,” Bryant told reporters last week. “That means a lot, you know? And obviously in Chicago, we didn’t get there but it doesn’t mean it was just a free-for-all. Guys are still being cautious and careful and making the right decisions.”

While some will erroneously take the news of positive tests from vaccinated individuals as a sign that the vaccines don’t actually work, the opposite is true. Not only are those who’ve been vaccinated at lower risk for contracting and spreading COVID-19, they generally experience reduced symptoms or none at all.

“I think the best message to send right now is Rossy doesn’t feel anything at all,” Green told media members. “He’s completely fine; he’s totally normal. That tends to be the case with those of us who are vaccinated and made that choice when we do contract it.

“That’s the message for the unvaccinated guys in the clubhouse who have continued to make that choice, and the unvaccinated people throughout the country have continued to make that choice.”

Ross testing positive at all is simply a matter of following the protocols, since he’s reportedly feeling nothing at all in the way of illness. There is, however, one potential side-effect.

“He wanted you guys to know the only symptom he has right now he can’t overcome is late-night snacking,” Green shared.

That’s more a matter of pacing around with nothing to do but watch games on television and find other ways to occupy himself. Either way, it’s a helluva lot better to be inhaling chips and ice cream than being on an inhaler because he didn’t do anything to protect himself and others.

Vaccines are free, they are easy to get, and they protect you and the people around you from a pandemic that has ravaged the globe for the better part of two years now. Unless you’re otherwise unable because of an underlying issue like auto-immune disease or something else, it’s a really good idea to get the jab.