2012 Olympic gold medalist Cameron van der Burgh has announced that he has been battling a case of coronavirus-caused COVID-19. The 31-year old South African is the first elite swimmer to publicly reveal that they have been infected by the disease that has grown into a global pandemic.
Van der Burgh, who retired after sweeping the 50 and 100 meter breaststrokes at the 2018 World Short Course Swimming Championships, is now living in London and working at Anduran Capital Management, a large oil-focused hedge fund. discussed his symptoms on Sunday via a series of Tweets.
While many people, especially younger individuals of the relative health of van der Burgh, have been asymptomatic, van der Burgh said that his 14-day experience with COVID-19 is “by far the worst virus I have ever endured.”
He says that the most extreme symptoms (including severe fever) have ease, he is still experiencing serious fatigue and a residual cough. “Any physical activity like walking leaves me exhausted for hours,” he says in the Tweets.
He goes on to discuss the loss of conditioning that he has suffered and saying that the ongoing uncertainty about the Olympic Games is causing athletes to expose themselves to “unnecessary risk.”
The IOC announced on Sunday that it was putting in place a 4 week timeline to decide whether to postpone the 2020 Olympic Games that are scheduled to launch in late July or to hold them as planned.
A two-time Olympic medalist, including gold in the 100 breaststroke at the 2012 Olympic Games and silver at the 2016 Olympic Games, van der Burgh is the current World Record holder in the 50 and 100 meter breaststroke in a short course meters pool.
Van der Burgh’s Tweets
1/ Some personal thoughts/observations for athletes health,The summer games & my own experience with contracting Covid19.
— Cameron van der Burgh OIS (@Cameronvdburgh) March 22, 2020
- Some personal thoughts/observations for athletes health,The summer games & my own experience with contracting Covid19.
- 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)
- 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.
- The loss in body conditioning has been immense and can only feel for the athletes that contract Covid-19 as they will suffer a great loss of current conditioning through the last training cycle. Infection closer to competition being the worst.
- Athletes will continue to train as there is no clarification re summer Games and thus are exposing themselves to unnecessary risk – and those that do contract will try rush back to training most likely enhancing/extending the damage/recovery time.
- Please, look after yourself everyone! Health comes first – COVID-19 is no joke!
Hope he gets well soon. Hope Bob Bowman and other coaches still training swimmers read this!!!
He’s in really fantastic physical shape and the virus has hit him this hard. I hope that people see this and realize how threatening this virus is, its not just something that affects older adults, it can hit anyone at anytime, which is why precautions need to be taken
Hello. IOC? Anyone? Bueller?
They cannot hear you. They are in social isolation counting their $
So sorry to hear this. Get well soon Cameron!
Does he know how he contracted the virus?
Close contact
Putting hands on face
Not avoiding crowded places
It’s everywhere in London right now and the UK isn’t trace testing. Getting to Andurand’s offices would usually mean getting the tube, so that’s probably the odds on favourite.
UK was even slower to act than Trump with social distancing. When the EU said to social distance, UK didn’t.
That’s not actually true. We have been being told to social distance for weeks, but it turns out rather a lot of my fellow Brits are self-indulged, selfish idiots who can’t think about other people and change their behaviour accordingly. Most of the country has listened, but what a shock, Londoners thought they were above rules and it is now rife there. It has been a shameful spectacle.
Get well soon Cameron!
It’s way worse in the EU than US, so wouldn’t say EU is a great model of what to do…
it is a respiratory virus. unless youre isolating yourself in a room for months with no human contact….youre at risk
Do not leave home without a surgical mask. Do not listen to when they say on TV. Masks help. In a study with particles 5 times smaller than coronavirus, they found that surgical masks prevent 89% of particles from penetrating the mask. That goes up for larger coronavirus. I will take 90%+ over 0% any time. Also dependa on “viral load” and distance. Use masks!!!!
A sneaky dolphin caught him off guard
Being in contact with someone who has it, just like any other illness
A brilliant guy. Get well soon Snicky. Hope other athletes and coaches will listen to you.
Listen to him!
Get well soon Cameron!