David “Doc” Sands is the first big-name poker player to announce he’s contracted coronavirus. The high-stakes pro shared details on Twitter about his current condition.
Sands assured his followers that he’s doing fine and will fully recover. At 35-year-old, he isn’t in a high-risk demographic for severe complications due to COVID-19. That is especially true given he is healthy and says he doesn’t have any pre-existing conditions.
Sands in Good Spirits
Sands certainly isn’t panicking, despite his positive COVID-19 test result. Instead, he remains in good spirits and shared some details about the virus with his Twitter followers.
https://twitter.com/Doc_Sands/status/1241825223130746880?s=20
In the 13-post thread, Sands gave some great insight on what it’s like to have coronavirus. He also explained the symptoms that led him to seek a test.
According to the CDC, common symptoms of COVID-19 include a cough, fever, and in more severe cases, difficulty breathing. Forbes, however, reports that nearly half of coronavirus patients studied experienced abdominal pain and/or diarrhea as an early symptom.
Sands, in his Twitter thread, said he felt fatigued on Monday and soon developed a severe headache. By Tuesday, he still had a bad headache and a slight cough. On Thursday, the symptoms remained, so he sought a coronavirus test. He said he received the news on Saturday that he tested positive.
The high-stakes poker player is unsure of how he contracted the coronavirus. He said he’s taken numerous precautions, such as washing his hands regularly and avoiding touching his face to prevent catching the virus.
Sands says he will remain in quarantine until he receives “a negative test result back from my doctor.”
Many other high-profile poker players including Phil Hellmuth, Phil Galfond, and Erik Seidel wished Sands well and a speedy recovery.
Coronavirus Impact on the Young and Healthy
Sands is only one of over 300,000 people worldwide to have contracted the coronavirus. But he’s yet another example of a young and apparently healthy individual who isn’t experiencing severe conditions from the virus.
Although millennials (and younger) are not immune to catching the coronavirus — or even dying from it — approximately 80% of the known deaths in the world have been age 50 and above. Those with pre-existing health conditions, regardless of age, are also at risk.
Sands, however, said he doesn’t have any health conditions and, at age 35, isn’t a high-risk patient. He said he works out four times a week, rarely drinks, and doesn’t smoke.
So although Sands is unlikely to die or become seriously ill based on coronavirus studies, it just goes to show that few are immune from catching the virus. Stay safe out there, folks.
