Arizona Wildcats freshman receiver Jaden Mitchell took to Twitter on Monday to share his harrowing experience with battling COVID-19.
Jaden Mitchell had COVID-19 for three weeks, lost 14 pounds
Mitchell made it clear that he’s not opting out of the season while praising the University of Arizona for making him feel safe and taken care of. One of the things the football program has done recently is it suspended a player who was not following the COVID-19 protocols.
He also detailed the frightening reality how COVID-19 can affect the human body. Mitchell communicated that he doesn’t know how college football is supposed to work given the way team operate and identified himself as a supporter of the Pac-12 group of players who have issued demands to the conference with the threat of holding out being on the table.
Here’s his full statement, which includes the hashtag #WeAreUnited:
“As someone who had COVID for three weeks and had to quarantine for four weeks. This virus is no joke. I lost 14 pounds and am still working on gaining it back and reconditioning myself. My training staff and everyone at the University of Arizona has done a GREAT job of making us feel safe and taken care of. Even though they did everything they could, being in a room or house for 28 days had a great impact on my body and mental health. The fact of the matter is that if this virus gets a hold of you and you experience symptoms, it will have a great impact on you. There are so many possibilities in a sport where 100-plus people are in a locker room, 70-plus players travel, add on coaches, staff, trainers, and more and I don’t see how that will work. We are physically touching each other every snap. On top of that, we are getting paid $0 risking our health for peoples’ entertainment. People who have and will never step foot on the field. I LOVE the game more than life AND I am NOT opting out, but I do need players, coaches, fans and everyone to realize not only the severity of not only the pandemic, but also the injustice.”
While many who contract COVID-19 are asymptomatic, including many of the athletes who have tested positive, Mitchell’s experience shows the truth that even healthy young people without any underlying conditions can be devastated by the virus. This is something that Boston Red Sox pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez has found out as well with a heart condition that has cost him the 2020 MLB season.