Heavyweight Travis Kauffman has tested positive for the coronavirus, the fighter announced Thursday on his social media.
Kauffman, who lives and trains in Reading, Pennsylvania, says the symptoms began somewhat innocuously before it suddenly escalated.
“It started with a little scratchy throat, so I loaded up on Airborne. I didn’t think nothing of it,” Kauffman said in a Facebook Live video. “Saturday, something just hit me. It felt like I got hit by a truck all of a sudden. Boom! I started feeling weird. My body was hurting bad. My fever was a 102.7. That’s when I said I got to go checked.”
The 34-year old was set to fight Nick Guivas on the undercard of the Jamal James vs. Thomas Dulorme main event on April 11 in Minneapolis, but that show was canceled as a result of the pandemic.
Kaufmann (32-3, 23 KOs) says he is doing fine at the moment and is more concerned about some of his loved ones, given the highly contagious nature of the COVID-19 virus.
“I’m pretty healthy. I think I’ll get through this. But if I don’t get through this, I’m not worried about me,” Kauffman said. “I’m worried about my father. My father is 57 years old, heart problems, diabetes. And he’s sick right now. He hasn’t been tested for the coronavirus. but I’ve been around him, and he has the same exact symptoms as me.”
Kauffman’s father is Reading-based boxing promoter and trainer Marshall Kauffman of King’s Promotions. And he’s not the only loved one in potential danger, the younger Kauffman said.
“My baby is sick,” he said. “Now his mom is sick. So the problem with this coronavirus thing … we all look it as a flu and it kind of is. The only problem is it’s so f—ing contagious.
“This is a reason why we have to stay away from each other, man.”
In other words, practice social distancing.
Said Kauffman: “I spoke to somebody today [and he said], ‘Well, Trav, everybody is going to get it anyway.’ That’s the mindset of f—ing people.”