Coronavirus: Arteta was scared about infecting others

After contracting the coronavirus earlier this month, Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta spoke about his fears.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is "completely fine" after battling COVID-19.

Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta was scared about who he would infect after contracting coronavirus.

Arteta is "completely fine" after battling COVID-19, which has killed more than 24,000 people around the world and brought sport to a standstill.

The 38-year-old, who tested positive on March 12, said he was concerned about infecting those around him, including his players.

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"I am feeling completely recovered [now], it's true I started having some symptoms when we got the phone call from the club to let us know that we might be exposed to the virus because of the owner of Olympiacos and in that moment… I don't know, I felt something within me, that I had it," Arteta told Arsenal Player .

"We had a game the following day against Manchester City, so I made a decision and called the doctor straight away and I asked him to drive home.

"I spoke with Raul [Sanllehi], Edu, Vinai [Venkatesham], Huss [Fahmy] and we set up a meeting together and I said, 'Listen, we have a couple of players that have been exposed. There is a massive risk there and as well I am the first one feeling the symptoms, very clear symptoms. So if that is the case, all of the players and the people related to the club who are in contact with me on a daily basis are exposed. So we cannot make that decision, we have to speak to the Premier League, to Manchester City and we have to make the decision pretty quickly.'

"Then you realise, 'Wow, everybody can be exposed here, this is very serious' and you start to think about the people that you've been in contact with and the other people that can be related to us. That's when a bit of fear comes."

Arteta said there was nothing unusual about how he felt while dealing with coronavirus.

"In terms of symptoms, it was a normal virus for me. I had three or four days which were a little bit difficult, with a bit of a temperature and a dry cough, and some discomfort in my chest. That was it," he said.

"The difficulty is that I have people at home, three kids as well and I was worried. My missus has been through it and my nanny's been through it. Thank God, the kids never got it. We are all completely fine now."

With the Premier League suspended due to coronavirus, Arsenal is ninth in the table, eight points adrift of fourth-placed Chelsea.