Wolves' Karl-Anthony Towns says mom in coma with coronavirus
Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns said his mother has been diagnosed with the coronavirus.
Towns spoke about his mother's condition in an emotional Instagram video Tuesday night, revealing she is in a medically induced coma and connected to a ventilator.
He said he was told early last week that his mother was not feeling well and that her condition began "deteriorating" over the next few days, spiking a fever as high as 103 degrees.
Towns urged the public to practice social distancing and treat the pandemic seriously. He said he wanted to make the video to let people know that "the severity of this disease is real."
"We can beat this, but this is serious and we need to take every precaution," Towns wrote in the caption to the video. "Sharing my story in the hopes that everyone stays at home! We need more equipment and we need to help those medical personnel on the front lines. Thank you to the medical staff who are helping my mom. You are all the true heroes! Praying for all of us at this difficult time."
Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell, who was diagnosed with the virus two weeks ago but has said he is asymptomatic, offered good words to Towns on Twitter.
The coronavirus has infected more than 422,000 people and killed over 18,000. The COVID-19 illness causes mild or moderate symptoms in most people, but severe symptoms are more likely in the elderly or those with existing health problems. More than 108,000 people have recovered so far, mostly in China.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
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