Saints' Sean Payton 'Cleared' By Doctors After COVID-19, 'I've Been Fortunate'

Great news for Sean Payton -- the New Orleans Saints head coach says he's been "cleared" by doctors after testing positive for coronavirus.

As we previously reported, Payton began feeling symptoms on March 15 and got tested the following day. Now, after more than a week into self-quarantine, Payton says he's doing much better.

"I'm doing well. I was cleared yesterday," 56-year-old Payton said during a radio interview Wednesday night with 'WWL.'

"I've been fortunate. You stay inside like everyone's doing, and you find ways to pass the time. We had a competition committee meeting the other day on teleconference. But, I'm feeling a lot better."

Payton joked that he's been passing the time binging on Netflix shows -- like everyone else.

He also addressed the criticism he got for going to a horseracing event in Arkansas on March 14 -- despite warnings about coronavirus.

"My Twitter blows up. 'Hey, what is he doing at the races?' Hey, if I knew I had this, I wouldn't have been at the racetrack two weeks ago. And the racetrack was closed. I was there in a small ownership group," Payton said.

"And then [people complained], 'He got a test on Monday without symptoms.' I had symptoms. I wasn't gonna use a test if I didn't have symptoms."

Now, Payton is focused on educating the masses ... and issued this warning to the public.