Florida State offensive lineman Andrew Boselli revealed Friday that he has recovered from the coronavirus.
In a first-person account on the Florida State football website, Boselli recounted how he initially dismissed any danger the coronavirus posed to himself, a healthy 22-year-old athlete. He figured only the elderly or those with underlying health problems were at risk
That changed around St. Patrick's Day when the coronavirus swept through his family in Jacksonville, Florida. His father, former NFL offensive lineman Tony Boselli, tested positive first. Then Andrew and his mother and brother all got it; three sisters, ranging in age from 10 to 18, did not get sick.
Andrew Boselli wrote that a day after he was tested for the virus on March 21, "I woke up feeling like I'd been hit by a bus." He had a fever that spiked to 103 degrees, felt shortness of breath, and at one point "was glued to the couch with no energy, no appetite and nothing but fluids and over-the-counter medicines to help me feel better."
Though doctors considered his case "mild," Boselli wrote, "my experience was anything but mild."
Boselli also addressed his experience via Zoom on Friday. He said he was in contact with Florida State head football trainer Jake Pfeil once he got tested and heard from everyone on the Seminoles coaching staff as well. He has been cleared to resume all team workouts from home.
"The biggest thing I urge for people to follow the guidelines given to us," he said. "No one wants to get this disease. Nobody. I don't care if you're 10 years old or 70 years old. No one wants to get this disease. If we all follow the guidelines given to us, we can get through this and get to do the things we want to do, like sports and help get everyone back together."
Boselli's father, Tony, got pneumonia and was admitted to the ICU because of the virus. In an interview last week with the Florida Times-Union, Tony Boselli said, "The worst was my second day in ICU when they were upping my oxygen levels. That was probably the lowest, scariest moment. I had no family around me. I can't remember exactly what the doctor said, something about the machine needing to go to another level for more oxygen if that didn't work.
Andrew Boselli also addressed that fear in his first-person account.
"We couldn't be with him, couldn't see his face and couldn't hear his voice," he wrote. "... In the span of a week, I went from not really taking this virus seriously to realizing that I could lose my father."
Most of the Boselli family has since recovered, though Tony is still working his way back to full health at home. Andrew decided to share his story to emphasize how seriously people should take the virus' threat.
"This whole journey has been a wake-up call for me," Andrew Boselli wrote. "We are all fighting against a serious illness that doesn't care who you are or where you're from, and one that can cause major problems no matter how old you are. Yes, social distancing is hard.
"And, for me, I know I'm counting down the days until I can be around my coaches and teammates again, especially after the way they supported me over the last few weeks. But the only way for that to happen is listen to the experts and follow their guidance. This is something that needs to be taken seriously."