Former NBA player Jason Collins, the league’s first openly gay player, has announced he has tested positive for coronavirus.
The one-time Nets center told followers that he thinks he may have contracted the COVID-19 virus during a March 4 trip to New York City for the Brooklyn Nets’ pride night game, TMZ reported.
Collins added that seven days later, he developed a “terrible headache,” and then began feeling even worse immediately afterward.
I tested positive for COVID19. I believe I got it while on a trip to NYC at the beginning of the month for the Brooklyn Nets Pride night game. I had my first symptoms on Wed Mar 11. Terrible headache. A few days later I had a fever and then the cough.
— Jason Collins (@jasoncollins98) March 24, 2020
“A few days later, I had a fever and then the cough,” Collins continued. “On Saturday, I went to the ER and got tested and spoke with some docs about the tightness in my chest.”
Collins said he was at his home but “might go back to the hospital later today,” due to the continued feeling of tightness in his chest.
Still, he also told fans that his lungs were deemed clear of infection during his last visit to the ER.
As the nation continues to slog through this viral outbreak, Collins urged fans to take social distancing seriously.
“Thank you to every single health care worker out there that are our true heroes on the frontline,” Collins concluded. “Please let’s try to flatten the curve & not overwhelm our health care system.”
Collins retired at the end of the 2014-2015 season after 14 seasons in the NBA. He is currently an NBA Cares Ambassador. His twin brother, Jarron, is an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors.
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