Olympic Swimmer Madi Wilson Hospitalized After Testing Positive for COVID-19: 'Huge Wake-Up Call'

Lindsay Kimble
·2 min read
Madi Wilson
Madi Wilson

Madi Wilson/Instagram Madi Wilson

Olympic swimmer Madi Wilson says she's been hospitalized with a breakthrough case of COVID-19.

The athlete, who won a gold medal in Tokyo for Australia, said that she recently tested positive and was moved into the hospital over the weekend as a precaution because she has underlying chest and lung issues.

Wilson, 27, wrote on Instagram, "I am extremely disappointed and upset not to be racing alongside my teammates in match 8 here in the ISL," referencing the International Swimming League, in which she competes with Los Angeles' team.

"Even though I am double vaccinated and took the right precaution set in place through the ISL, I have managed to fall to this virus," said Wilson. "It's been a crazy few months and I believe being run down physically and mentally may have made me more susceptible. I feel extremely unlucky but I do believe this is a huge wake-up call, Covid is a serious thing and when it comes it hits very hard. I'd be stupid not to say I wasn't scared."

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She said in her caption that she's "lucky" to have a lot of support, which she echoed in Monday videos posted on her Instagram Story.

"Special thanks to my incredible L.A. family, you haven't and won't ever see a team with a bigger heart than theirs, away from the pool the most incredible compassionate group of people and in the pool we are fighting with every bit of strength," explained Wilson in her Instagram caption. "I can promise we will be ready to fire come semifinals!"

RELATED VIDEO: Meet These 3 Remarkable Paralympic Athletes Who Faced Insurmountable Odds and Came Out on Top

Wilson said in her Instagram Story video that she is grateful that she's vaccinated, explaining, that she felt it kept her from having worse coronavirus symptoms.

She also said that she will "continue to encourage people to get vaccinated."

Breakthrough cases — COVID-19 infections that occur in people who have been fully vaccinated against the virus — are rare, but possible and expected, as the vaccines are not 100% effective in preventing infections. Still, vaccinated people who test positive will likely be asymptomatic or experience a far milder illness than if they were not vaccinated. The majority of deaths from COVID-19 — around 98 to 99% — are in unvaccinated people.

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