You’d think COVID-19 would be fairly easy for a healthy, gold-medal winning athlete to shake off, but for South African swimmer Cameron van der Burgh, it seems anything but.
In a Twitter thread on Sunday, the 31-year-old retired Olympic athlete explained that COVID-19 is the “worst virus” he had ever experienced.
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“I have been struggling with Covid-19 for 14 days today. By far the worst virus I have ever endured despite being a healthy individual with strong lungs(no smoking/sport), living a healthy lifestyle and being young (least at risk demographic),” he wrote.
2/ I have been struggling with Covid-19 for 14 days today. By far the worst virus I have ever endured despite being a healthy individual with strong lungs(no smoking/sport), living a healthy lifestyle and being young (least at risk demographic)
— Cameron van der Burgh (@Cameronvdburgh) March 22, 2020
“Although the most severe symptoms(extreme fever) have eased, I am still struggling with serious fatigue and a residual cough that I can’t shake. Any physical activity like walking leaves me exhausted for hours.”
His tweets were made ahead of the 2020 Summer Olympic Games, scheduled to begin in mid-July in Tokyo, Japan.
However, his struggles also suggest why the virus should be taken seriously by all citizens, not merely athletes.
6/ Please, look after yourself everyone! Health comes first – COVID-19 is no joke!
— Cameron van der Burgh (@Cameronvdburgh) March 22, 2020
“Please, look after yourself everyone! Health comes first – COVID-19 is no joke!” he concluded.
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Feature image: CDC via Unsplash
