WASHINGTON — An Olympic gold medalist, who was part of the Australian swim team in Tokyo, has been hospitalized with COVID-19 as a "precautionary" measure.
Madi Wilson announced in a series of Instagram posts that she tested positive for COVID-19 while in Italy for an International Swim League event. The 27-year-old swimmer was then hospitalized on Saturday for "further care and observation." She explained that she has "underlying chest and lung issues."
Wilson, who is a member of the LA Current, said she was fully vaccinated and described her situation as a "huge wake up call."
"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," Wilson wrote.
She told the outlet SwimSwam.com that she has asthma, which can make a person be more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In a separate post to her Instagram story, the two-time Olympian thanked everyone for their support and urged everyone to get vaccinated for COVID-19.
"The biggest thing I can say is please get vaccinated. I have no idea how I would feel right now if I wasn't and it's so scary to think what this virus can do even when vaccinated. Look after yourself and everyone around you," Wilson said.
During the Tokyo Olympics, Wilson won a bronze and gold medal as a member of Australia's teams in the women's 4x100 and 4x200 freestyle relays.