Warriors' Damion Lee Tests Positive for COVID-19 Despite Full Vaccination
On Thursday, Warriors shooting guard Damion Lee told reporters he tested positive for COVID-19 two weeks ago despite being fully vaccinated. Lee said he got his vaccine by the middle or end of March, and is an extremely rare "breakthrough" case of a positive test result from a fully vaccinated person.
"Right now, there’s no timeline in the immediate future for me coming back and playing," Lee said. "We still have protocols and hurdles that I have to clear from the medical side. And then it’s just a matter of getting back in basketball shape.”
As of April 26, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 9,245 breakthrough infections out of over 95 million vaccinated people—or 0.0097% of people.
Lee told reporters he experienced a variety of symptoms, including headache, chills, sneezing, congestion, soreness and body aches, adding that it felt, "like I was hit by a car, hit by two cars at once ... every step I took, it hurt."
Lee also described experiencing brain fog, difficulty breathing and a loss of appetite. He said he had difficulty sustaining a conversation, and like, "there was a weight on [his] chest for a couple days."
An undrafted player out of Louisville in 2016, Lee broke through with the Hawks during the 2017–18 season and has spent the last three years with the Warriors. He signed a multi-year contract with the team in January of last year.
In 57 games this season, Lee is averaging 6.5 points and 3.2 rebounds while shooting 39.7% on three-point attempts. He hasn't appeared in a game since April 19.
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