Nets' Douglas-Roberts tests positive for H1N1 virus
By Bob Considine, for NBA.com
Posted Nov 8 2009 7:24PM
EAST RUTHERFORD (NBA.com exclusive) -- Nets' second-year forward Chris Douglas-Roberts has tested positive for the H1N1 virus.
Douglas-Roberts has not played since New Jersey's 122-94 loss to Denver on Wednesday night. The H1N1 virus was first identified as a "swine flu" in April of this year and declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization in June. In a statement, the Nets said Douglas-Roberts has been treated accordingly for the illness and the team has followed all precautionary health measures mandated by the NBA.
Specifically, Nets coach Lawrence Frank said the rest of the team will take one Tamiflu tablet per day for the next 10 days as a precaution. Frank didn't know how long Douglas-Roberts, who is averaging 15.6 points, would be out. But he said the stage of him being contagious "has run its course."
"But I talked to him today, he doesn't sound very good," Frank said.
Veteran forward Bobby Simmons, who sits next to Douglas-Roberts in the Nets' locker room, said he recognizes the H1N1 virus as "very serious," but he was not worried about being so close in proximity to his ailing teammate.
"I went to the grocery store this morning and a lot of people were coughing in there, too," Simmons said. "It's just something in the air that's going on right now."
Douglas-Roberts is believed to be the first player in the league to be officially diagnosed with H1N1. With his absence, the winless Nets had only eight healthy bodies for Saturday night's home contest against the Boston Celtics.
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