CLEVELAND — Chris Kielsmeier, the head coach of the Cleveland State Vikings women's basketball team, has tested positive for coronavirus, the school announced Saturday night.
Officials did not specify when or how Kielsmeier may have contracted the illness, but emphasized they were doing "everything possible to support Chris in his recovery and ensure that all who came into close contact with him are being contacted and given the best in medical advice and support." School President Harlan Sands said Kielsmeier alerted administrators "as soon as he started feeling ill," and that the coach's actions "were helpful in limiting exposure to the CSU community."
"It has been a very challenging couple of days," Kielsmeier himself said in a statement. "I am beginning to feel better and look forward to getting back to 100%."
The Ohio Department of Health has so far confirmed 26 cases of coronavirus in the state (including 11 in Cuyahoga County), but it is unknown if Kielsmeier was one of those cases or if his test results came back after Gov. Mike DeWine's 2 p.m. press conference Saturday. In response to Kielsmeier's illness, CSU has suspended "all non-essential on-campus operations" and reiterated its intentions to conduct all student classes online through at least April 10.
Those who have been in recent close contact with Kielsmeier are being asked to self-quarantine, per CDC protocols. That could include players and officials from other Horizon League schools, as the Vikings just finished playing in the league's women's basketball tournament on Monday in Indianapolis.
In two seasons at Cleveland State, Kielsmeier has a record of 31-31, including a 21-11 mark this past season that was an 11-win improvement from his maiden campaign. He led the Vikings to the Horizon League semifinals, where they lost to IUPUI.
Ohio and the United States are both under a state of emergency due to the global coronavirus pandemic. Anyone suffering from a fever, coughing, and shortness of breath is asked to immediately contact a doctor.
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