‘Take Covid-19 seriously’ urges Olympic medalist
Durban North triathlete, Henri Schoeman urged people to change their mindsets about writing off the novel coronavirus as harmless.
COMMONWEALTH Games and Olympic Games medalist, Henri Schoeman, has urged the public to take the Covid-19 pandemic seriously.
This comes after the Durban North resident tested positive for the virus. Speaking to Northglen News, Schoeman said his symptoms started out with severe fatigue.
“It started of with fatigue, though at the time I thought it was because I may have been over-training. I spoke to my dad, who is my coach, because I couldn’t finish training sessions and from there all the symptoms began presenting itself. It progressed to a dry cough, severe headaches, I then lost my sense of smell and taste. So it has been a rough few weeks but I feel I’m over the worst of it now. I still have headaches, a little bit of fatigue and my eyes get sore but thankfully I feel better than I did. I’m still monitoring my symptoms and self-isolating,” he explained.
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Schoeman’s wife, Franzel, also tested positive for the Covid-19 virus but like him, they are now both on the road to recovery. He urged people to change their mindsets about writing off the novel coronavirus as harmless.
“I think there needs to be a mind shift change from ‘maybe I should just get it and get over it and move on’ because unfortunately what sets Covid-19 apart from the flu is that it has the ability to end sporting careers with the possibility of residual effects and organ damage. Where possible, people should avoid getting infected because yes, the symptoms may be flu like, but the lasting effects are detrimental. It’s completely different to any cold or flu, you know when you have it. That has been my experience at least.
“I’ve been completely out of training and trying to recover. No one is safe from it, despite my best efforts to stay at home, stay sanitised and stay safe, somehow it managed to find both me and my wife. No matter how young, fit or strong you are, the effects are very real,” he said.
In other Covid-19 news: Government reduces Covid-19 isolation period
This is the second brush with the coronavirus for the 28-year-old who in September last year contracted the Middle Eastern strain of the coronavirus called MERS-CoV.
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