Soccer player Hudson-Odoi tests positive for coronavirus

English soccer team Chelsea FC has closed a section of its sporting facility after winger, Callum Hudson-Odoi tested positive for coronavirus.

Hudson-Odoi becomes the first English Premier League player to test positive for a virus that has been declared a global epidemic by the World Health Organisation.

According to Chelsea, Hudson-Odoi “displayed symptoms similar to a mild cold on Monday morning” and stayed away from the training ground.

The club added that the player is “doing well and looking forward to returning to the training ground as soon as it is possible”.

Following the news, the 19-year-old tweeted a video where he said: “As you may be aware I had the virus for the last couple of days which I have recovered from. 

“I am following the health guidelines and self-isolating myself from everybody for the week. I hope to see everybody soon and hopefully will be back on the pitch very soon.”

BBC reported that Chelsea’s full squad has gone into isolation and the club canceled Friday’s scheduled news conference.

Their scheduled fixture against Aston Villa on Saturday looks unlikely to happen. 

Hudson-Odoi, who is the second son of former Ghanaian striker, Bismark Odoi becomes the latest player in a growing list of athletes and celebrities affected by the virus.

Early this week, Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for the virus which prompted the NBA to suspend its season. 

He wrote after he was diagnosed with the virus: “I have gone through so many emotions since learning of my diagnosis … mostly fear, anxiety, and embarrassment.”

“The first and most important thing is I would like to publicly apologize to the people that I may have endangered. At the time, I had no idea I was even infected,” he added.

Another Utah Jazz player, Donovan Mitchell tested positive for the virus. 

According to ESPN, Mitchell’s positive test was not known until early Thursday, the first full day of the NBA’s hiatus. Jazz players, staff and some beat writers covering the team were tested Wednesday night in Oklahoma City, where Utah was to play the Thunder in a game that was called off.

Ghana, the latest African country to be affected by the virus, has confirmed two cases. Health Minister Kwaku Agyeman-Manu disclosed the news at a late-night press conference in the capital, Accra.

The two cases, Agyeman-Manu said tested positive after laboratory tests from the Noguchi Memorial Institute of Medical Research on Thursday, March 12, 2020.

The cases are ‘imported cases’ by returnees from Norway and Turkey, he stated.

“Both individuals returned to Ghana from Norway and Turkey. So these are imported cases of COVID-19.

“I wish to assure all Ghanaians that the Government of Ghana together with all Health Partners will continue to work assiduously to ensure the situation is contained.

“Both patients are currently being kept in isolation and are stable. We have initiated processes for contact tracing,” the minister added.