Even with COVID-19 being declared a pandemic, not everyone is taking the threat seriously. People doubt, joke, and scoff at the spread of Coronavirus and those who are taking extreme measures to combat it.
But there’s no reason to not take this thing seriously at this point. Thousands of people have died, thousands are fighting for their lives, and the world is struggling to contain this virus as it continues to spread.
Donovan Mitchell found out the seriousness of Coronavirus the hard way. Just days after joking about it with courtside fans, he was confirmed as one of two Jazz players positive with the virus.
The footage below shows his interaction with fans before the Jazz/Thunder game, telling them “Y’all can’t touch it (the ball), y’all might have the virus.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/B9pvu_Xl4Sp
Of course, we know that it was Mitchell (ironically) who had the virus.
Jazz star Donovan Mitchell has tested positive for the coronavirus, league sources tell ESPN. Jazz players privately say that Rudy Gobert had been careless in the locker room touching other players and their belongings. Now a Jazz teammate has tested positive.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 12, 2020
Mitchell followed up on his diagnosis with a statement, urging fans to take precautions.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B9pEkQOAOB0
The NBA is continuing to monitor the situation and both Mitchell and Gobert seem to be situated to make a full recovery. Hopefully, the situation will improve with some additional time and preparation.