Olympic Gold Medalist Cameron van der Burgh Back to 100% After COVID-19 Scare

Olympic gold medalist Cameron van der Burgh says he’s “feeling 100% again” after being diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

Van der Burgh was the first big-name swimmer, and among the first Olympians, to publicly disclose that he had tested positive for a coronavirus infection.

Van der Burgh’s description of his symptoms had a ripple-effect throughout the swimming community. While many athletes from other sports to that point had described mild or no symptoms, van der Burgh, who is less than 18 months removed from a Short Course World Championship in the 50 breaststroke, described it as “by far the worst virus I have ever endured.”

For many in the sport, this was a wakeup call that, while the incidents of severe cases like van der Burgh’s are higher among older and immuno-compromised individuals, young and healthy people can still have very severe symptoms.

He says it took about 3 weeks for him to feel totally back to normal.

The South African, who now lives and works in London, for hedge fund Andurand Capital Management.

Van der Burgh says that the outfit was tracking the spread of the coronavirus since mid-February, before it was on the radar of most countries outside of Asia, so it was ironic that he was one of the first in London to be diagnosed.

“I spent a lot of time studying this virus … In China they did a good job containing it,” said Pierre Andurand, the manager of Andurand Capital Management, to Reuters in early March. “In Europe and the U.S., I’m very worried that the measures they take are not drastic enough to stop or slow the spread.”

Andurand’s read of the market led his firm to take a short position on oil, which is a bet that the price would drop, which it has dramatically – driven by both the coronavirus outbreak, and a price war between Russia and Saudi Arabia. Last week, oil fell below $20 a barrel, and hit its lowest price in 18 years.

Van der Burgh says that other than the 4 days where he had a fever, he was able to continue working through the virus.

The 31-year old from Pretoria won Olympic gold at the 2012 Olympic Games in the 100 breaststroke and silver 4 years later in Rio. In total, he has 6 World Championship golds as well among 18 total medals.

More recently, a group of 9 elite Hungarian swimmers and coaches have tested positive for coronavirus after training camps in Thailand and Turkey. That list includes defending World Champion in the 200 fly Boglarka Kapas. None have reported any severe symptoms so far, though the identities of all 9 are not known.

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Jeff
4 years ago

Great that he’s been tested among others. Now it would be nice if the UK put a bit of effort into testing and actually test the 100,000 a day as promised by the government.

Dbswims
4 years ago

Im glad he is back to normal!

Also, the only “containing” China has done is lied about their numbers.

Jmanswimfan
Reply to  Dbswims
4 years ago

I hope to see you in 2 months when we have more deaths than them and are still in lockdown

Jmanswimfan
Reply to  Dbswims
4 years ago

The only source for this is an anonymous US intelligence source lol. Please talk to people who live in China and stop your sinophobia.

EHHH
Reply to  Dbswims
4 years ago

I don’t know whether the numbers are fake, but I can tell life here in China has been returning to normal for quite a while. Sincerely hope every other country can recover faster.

EHHH
Reply to  EHHH
4 years ago

Also, the problem can be effectively solved only when politicians focus on doing their own jobs instead of blaming others for ‘doing worse’. If people don’t trust the numbers of China, then look at South Korea. US and S. Korea reported their first corona case on the same day, but WHAT A HUGE difference now. Is it really so difficult for some people to admit others are doing better?

Jmanswimfan
Reply to  EHHH
4 years ago

Yes if someone is racist it’s hard to admit also if someone believes their economic system which is now gonna make 30% of people unemployed is better than someone else’s they will deny all success from that country. I can’t wait for China to reign as the global hegemony all because Trump couldn’t do the easiest things in the world

Jmanswimfan
Reply to  EHHH
4 years ago

I’m sorry you’re experiencing people lying about your country

IM FAN
Reply to  Dbswims
4 years ago

Ok look, the only numbers we have from China are directly from the CCP itself. The WHO is reporting those numbers at face value, and western media is simply reporting what the WHO says. That being said, there is precedent to be skeptical of information coming directly from the CCP for reasons that are too numerous to get into here, but the most recent example being the initial coverup of the Wuhan outbreak. There are supposedly reports from British and American intelligence saying China’s numbers are grossly misstated, which lines up with comments from both goverments, but neither of those supposed reports are public so sadly I can’t verify. The data we have about the virus from other countries makes… Read more »

Captain Ahab
4 years ago

This is great news. Congratulations to Cameron Van Der Burgh. 90% – 98% of the people with Corona virus are going to recover and survive. Trump needs to reopen America by Easter. We can not go until the end of May with everything shut down or we’re going to have depression. A great depression is far worst than the corona virus.

Jmanswimfan
Reply to  Captain Ahab
4 years ago

In my opinion one death is one too many and the United Stares has over 9,000 deaths already but that’s just because I care about people

Ladyvoldisser
Reply to  Jmanswimfan
4 years ago

Captain Ahab also cares about people! I care that I will not see my bank account reduced, want to be able to drive my Aston Martin and be able to enjoy life!

Jmanswimfan
Reply to  Ladyvoldisser
4 years ago

Damn shouldn’t have backed a fragile economic system then 🙁

Woke Stasi
Reply to  Captain Ahab
4 years ago

I’ve read that alcohol consumption is up 50+% in some places.
Lots of self medicating, but at least they’re not driving! Of course, $20 gets you a lot more booze at home than it does in a bar.
Sadly, when this is all said and done, I bet that more will die from suicide, overdoses, alcoholism and other things ancillary to depression, isolation, and unemployment than the Coronavirus.

Jmanswimfan
Reply to  Woke Stasi
4 years ago

The lowest estimate is 100,000 the highest 2 million. And everything you listed is preventable with the right action by our government but they won’t do the right thing

SAMUEL HUNTINGTON
Reply to  Jmanswimfan
4 years ago

Care to explain how the government can prevent suicide, depression, and overdoses? And the 2 million figure was if the government did absolutely nothing and it obviously has done a lot. There is no need to bring up that number. You have to at least admit that the unemployment caused by this virus is a serious problem.

Jmanswimfan
Reply to  SAMUEL HUNTINGTON
4 years ago

By providing things such as income rent relief etc that prevents depression and poverty? Your solution well our government already screwed up might as well just go outside now and have people needlessly die 🤷‍♂️.

Jmanswimfan
Reply to  SAMUEL HUNTINGTON
4 years ago

I would love to live in your world where 100,000 deaths isn’t a lot. Sociopath rube

SAMUEL HUNTINGTON
Reply to  Jmanswimfan
4 years ago

I feel terrible about those dying from coronavirus. We can also at the same time worry about the negative effects of mass unemployment. We need to think about both to help the maximum number of people.

Woke Stasi
Reply to  Woke Stasi
4 years ago

Tragic. UK man commits suicide after non being able to deal with home isolation.
https://newsthud.com/uk-man-takes-his-own-life-after-being-unable-to-cope-with-coronavirus-self-isolation/

Sam
Reply to  Captain Ahab
4 years ago

coronavirus killed mopre people than 9/11 so far…

Jmanswimfan
Reply to  Sam
4 years ago

Shh people like Sam will only have empathy when someone he knows dies which they will

Awsi Dooger
Reply to  Sam
4 years ago

I predicted 2 months ago on a college football site that coronavirus would kill many multiples beyond the 9/11 tally in the United States. A certain faction devoted page after page in that thread to laughing at me. Now the same simpleton deniers are crediting the government even though this government was perfectly prepared to sit back and do nothing until progressive leaders like the NBA provided the necessary jolt of bold clarity.

jmanswimfan
Reply to  Awsi Dooger
4 years ago

I’m just in awe these people think with nearly 5 months to prepare the government is doing a good job with minimum 100k deaths and 700,000 people unemployed. The United States the wealthiest country on the planet is going to have potentially 30% unemployment. But yeah great job

swimfan210_
4 years ago

That’s great to hear!

yardfan
4 years ago

glad that he recovered that quickly !

Swimdude
4 years ago

hE oNLy bEaT iT bEcAuSe hE DiD tWo dOLpHiN kiCks

25BACKSTROKE
Reply to  Swimdude
4 years ago

Underrated comment

IM FAN
Reply to  Swimdude
4 years ago

Actually it was 3.

YaYeeter
4 years ago

Great to see him recovered like a BOSS

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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