Sports
Inter’s Arturo Vidal hospitalized after testing positive for COVID-19
Inter Milan's Chile midfielder Arturo Vidal has been hospitalised in Santiago after testing positive for novel coronavirus.
The 34-year old announced the news on his official Instagram handle and wrote, “Unfortunately, today I found out that I was positive for covid”.
“This time I will not be able to be on the court, but I will support my teammates with all my strength. I'm going to recover soon to be able to wear La Roja de Todos again,” he added.
He further wrote, “I thank all the health professionals who are taking care of all the Chileans who are fighting against this terrible pandemic”.
After diagnosing with deadly disease, Arturo Vidal will miss Thursday's World Cup qualifier against Argentina.
"The medical team of the Chilean national team emphasizes that at the request of the player Arturo Vidal, it is announced that he has been diagnosed positive for Covid," the national team said on its official website.
The statement further said that no other players in the squad had tested positive for the virus.
Vidal, who was vaccinated against the virus on Friday, was initially admitted to hospital with severe tonsilitis, but tested positive for coronavirus on Monday.
Covid-19 infections in Chile remain above 6,000 daily cases and the health system is overwhelmed.
Meanwhile, the virus has killed more than 29,000 people out of a total 1.3 million cases in the country. Chile are also due to take part in the Copa America championship that gets under way in Brazil on June 13.