Utah Jazz guard says, ‘I don’t have any symptoms’
All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz says he showed no symptoms of being sick before testing positive for the coronavirus, and he continues to have no signs of illness since going into isolation.
Mitchell, speaking to ABC’s “Good Morning America” in an interview broadcast Monday, also revealed that it “took awhile for me to kind of cool off ” at Rudy Gobert, his All-Star teammate who was the first NBA player to have a positive test for the virus revealed. Gobert has said in recent days that he did not take the threat of the illness seriously.
“I’m glad he’s doing OK. I’m glad I’m doing well,” said Mitchell, who did not say if he has spoken to Gobert in recent days. He has seen video updates Gobert has posted to social media updating fans about his own condition.
Mitchell said he continues to feel fine, and that the worst physical issue he’s had during this process was going through the test for COVID-19 itself. He said getting swabbed was so uncomfortable that it left him in tears.
“I’m asymptomatic,” Mitchell said. “I don’t have any symptoms. I could walk down the street (and) if it wasn’t public knowledge that I was sick, you wouldn’t know it. I think that’s the scariest part about this virus. You may seem fine, be fine. And you never know who you may be talking to, who they’re going home to.”
Mitchell’s father, Donovan Mitchell Sr., works for the New York Mets and was tested last week as well. Mitchell Sr.’s test was negative.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough.
Gobert — thinking at the time he was making a joke — touched a few Jazz reporters’ digital recording devices at a media availability March 9, two days before his positive test became public and forced the NBA to suspend the season.
It cannot, however, be concluded he is responsible for Mitchell or Wood contracting the virus.