Florida State offensive lineman Andrew Boselli announced on Friday that he contracted coronavirus in late March and has recovered from the infection. Boselli received a test for the infection on March 21 and was given the news a few days later. He wrote that, during the wait between taking the test and receiving the result, he already knew that he had contracted COVID-19.
"I woke up on a Sunday morning with a low-grade fever, thinking that would be the worst of it," he wrote in a release from Florida State. "By that night, my temperature was 103 degrees. It was the highest fever of my life, but I felt like I was freezing. I was glued to the couch with no energy, no appetite and nothing but fluids and over-the-counter medicines to help me feel better. The hardest part was feeling slightly short of breath. That's a bad feeling anyway, and knowing that shortness of breath is often a symptom of severe cases made it that much worse. I had never felt so not like myself. My symptoms mostly went away after three long days, but this virus has a way of playing games with your mind."
The initial thought around the country and world when the COVID-19 pandemic started was that the elderly and people with underlying medical conditions were, by far, the most susceptible to fall ill. Boselli, a 22-year-old with no underlying conditions, even thought that. But the 6-foot-5, 321-pound center quickly learned that is far from the truth.
"When I first heard the news of the coronavirus pandemic, I, like most, saw the studies that said it was primarily a danger to the elderly and figured it wouldn't have much impact on me, my family or friends," he wrote. "I even had plans to spend Spring Break on a cruise to the Bahamas. The last few weeks, though, have shown just how wrong I was, and just how seriously we all need to treat this outbreak."
Boselli, a redshirt senior who appeared in 10 games with two starts at center last season, acquired the infection when he went back home to his native Jacksonville to be with his family. His father, former NFL star offensive tackle Tony Boselli, announced earlier this month that he fought through the coronavirus infection as well. Andrew Boselli wrote about his father's fight, which was a much more serious case.
"Even after he tested positive, it looked like he'd get through it without much difficulty," Andrew Boselli wrote. "But a week later, he was only getting worse. From my place on the couch downstairs, I could hear him coughing all the way from across the house. There were days when he'd be up and moving around, making jokes in the kitchen. Then an hour or two later, he would be stuck in bed. My dad has always been tough and a source of strength in our family. But after a while, and especially when we heard that cough, we knew something wasn't OK."
That "something" was a worst-case scenario for people who have contracted COVID-19 -- pneumonia.
"He was admitted straight into the ICU," Andrew Boselli wrote. "Those few days were the toughest part of our road. The doctors and nurses took great care of him, but, due to the nature of the virus, he couldn't have any visitors. My dad would text updates a few times a day, and my mom was able to drop off things that could be delivered to his room. Otherwise, we couldn't be with him, couldn't see his face and couldn't hear his voice. He was given oxygen and some prescribed medications, but the doctors said that if his condition didn't improve, then he would need to be placed on a ventilator. In the span of a week, I went from not really taking this virus seriously to realizing that I could lose my father."
The Boselli's have recovered from COVID-19 and are focusing on educating the pubic on just how dangerous it is.
"The only way for that to happen is listen to the experts and follow their guidance," Andrew Boselli wrote. "Because even if this doesn't turn into a big thing for you, it could have an impact on your parents, your grandparents, or someone else's family. This is something that needs to be taken seriously. And if we all do our part, we can get through it."
Florida State confirmed that no other members of the Florida State football team have tested positive. Andrew Boselli has stayed in his native Jacksonville instead of returning to Tallahassee since testing positive for COVID-19.
