First big-name poker player to announce infection
David ‘Doc’ Sands is the first high-profile poker pro to publicly confirm having contracted the coronavirus. The player took to Twitter to make his announcement and talk about the steps he is taking to deal with the COVID-19 infection. He assured followers that he is doing well and is expecting to make a full recovery.
he is doing well and is expecting to make a full recovery
The 35-year-old added that he is not in one of the higher-risk age brackets and has no underlying health conditions that could cause complications.
Sands also works out numerous times each week, rarely drinks, and does not smoke. He appeared in good spirits as he continued to share some of his experiences so far with the virus.
Sands describes COVID-19 symptoms
Sands posted 13 tweets about his diagnosis, giving first-hand insight into what it is like to deal with the virus. He described the symptoms that were the catalyst for getting a coronavirus test from a doctor.
The poker player started feeling very fatigued last Monday, and it didn’t take long for a bad headache to kick in. The headache was still affecting him the following day as he started to develop a cough. On Thursday, the symptoms were still present so he went to get tested. The results were sent to him on Saturday, confirming that he had contracted the COVID-19 virus.
Quarantined until test comes back negative
Sands will be staying in quarantine until such a time when a coronavirus test comes back with a negative result. He said he still has a headache and heaviness in his throat, but is fine otherwise.
After his Twitter announcement, numerous big-name poker pros reached out to wish him well. These included the likes of Erik Seidel, Phil Galfond, and Phil Hellmuth.
Coronavirus a serious global issue
More than 340,000 people globally have contracted the coronavirus in recent months. The pandemic has claimed more than 15,000 lives to date, the majority of which were people aged at least 50. Cases with underlying medical conditions are also at high risk of severe reactions to the virus.
Many countries have informed citizens to go into lockdown and self-isolation mode to slow the spread of the virus. This has led to mass job losses, with many businesses at risk over the shutdown period.
Travel, hospitality, and tourism are among the most vulnerable sectors. Most casinos across the US have closed and are calling for financial aid from the federal government. Companies relying on sports betting have also seen their revenues dry up as most major sporting events worldwide got canceled or postponed.