Boston Celtics’ all-star forward, Jayson Tatum, tested positive for COVID-19 earlier in 2021. In January, Tatum sat out of 5 games due to his infection. Tatum now says he feels the lasting effects of the COVID-19 virus on his body.  

Since COVID-19 is so new, the long-term effects of the virus have yet to be researched. Many people have been hospitalized from the virus with respiratory problems. Tatum has similar experiences with respiratory issues during his infection with the virus.  

Tatum has revealed that since his diagnosis with COVID-19 in January, he has had problems breathing normally since joining back with the Celtics in late February. He tells ESPN, “I have experienced some games where, I don’t want to say [I was] struggling to breathe, but, you know, you get fatigued a lot quicker than normal... I’ve noticed that since I’ve had COVID”.  

Tatum isn’t the only player to have experienced this. He says, “I’ve talked to other guys that have had it and they experienced the same thing”. Tatum later stated in April, that he now has to use an inhaler before and after every game since his sickness with the virus.  

Other players like Philidelphia 76er’s sharpshooter, Seth Curry, shares a similar experience, “It’s been tough, just trying to get my energy all the way back. Some days I feel good, some days I’m just sluggish. It’s like I got to take a nap all day, so it’s weird but I am grateful to be able to get up and get on the court every day and play… It’s a work in progress.”

As more people start to recover from COVID-19 and sports startup full-time again, it is important that research about the possibly permanent, respiratory effects of the virus on not only athletes but all people who do daily activity. Players like Curry and Tatum are helping encourage people to be safe because of the uncertainty of what recovering effects of the coronavirus will look like in the near future.