Covid-19: Barca ace Roberto tested positive a record 26 times
Barcelona player Sergi Roberto reportedly tested positive for Covid-19 on 26 occasions before he eventually returned a negative test and was able to return to action.
The Spain international caught coronavirus while dealing with a muscle injury, picked up in late November, according to Mundo Deportivo. However after his first positive test, the 28-year-old tested positive a remarkable 25 more times before he was finally cleared to return to the club’s training facilities.
Roberto eventually returned to action on Sunday, coming off the bench in Barcelona’s 2-1 win over Athletic Bilbao.
Overall, it took the versatile Barca utility man 29 days to return a negative test – one of the longest periods that a footballer has been affected by the virus. This despite the player reportedly only suffering very mild symptoms.
La Liga rules don’t allow a player to return to club training facilities until they have tested negative, so Roberto had to do the majority of his injury rehab while he isolated at home.
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The length of times it takes to recover from Covid-19 is extremely varied. For many mild cases, it’s around two weeks, but the effects can last a lot longer for some people (so-called ‘long Covid’).
Cristiano Ronaldo was absent for 19 days from Juventus action, despite apparently being asymptomatic. However Roberto’s stint with the virus lasted almost an entire month.