Cameron Brate contracted and fully recovered from COVID-19, and he's using that information to motivate countless more to help in the fight to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The Buccaneers tight end took to Instagram Wednesday to encourage his followers to donate plasma, and in the process of doing so, revealed his own personal diagnosis and eventual recovery with just a single line: "Thankful to have fully recovered from COVID-19."
Wednesday's post was the first public revelation of Brate's contraction of the virus that has most of the world in its grips. A handful of other notable NFL players have revealed their own experiences with COVID-19 at their own discretion, and the NFLPA's information hub lists 107 total players who tested positive for the virus during the offseason.
Brate is spreading his important message because those who have recovered from COVID-19 develop antibodies to the virus in their plasma. Their blood is called convalescent plasma, which is being used by some doctors to treat those with severe symptoms from COVID-19 with the hope that the antibodies in the plasma can boost their ability to fight the virus, according to the Mayo Clinic.
