Gun to forehead twice a day, anal swabs: Dusko Tosic describes coronavirus torment in China

Foto: MN Press, Instagram.com/duskotosic

China is still not "in the clear" regarding the coronavirus situation, as our national football team member Dusko Tosic has felt on his own skin.

Football is being played again in China, but in a tournament format - 16 teams are divided into two groups and after the double point system, the final stage will follow. Currently many foreign players are not available due to being in two-week quarantine.

Recommended

Among them is Dusko Tosic, a Guangzho R&F defender who is spending twoweeks in quarantine in a hotel. He spoke for the Serbian sports daily Sportski Zurnal two days before the end of his "jailtime."

"When our preparations in Dubai were interrupted, I returned to Serbia. I had to quarantine for 14 days. In the meantime, stricter measures were introduced, so I extended the quarantine for another two weeks. Upon arrival in China, I again had to be quarantined for 14 days. In total, I have been in quarantine for a month and a half," said Tosic, who is only allowed to go out to the terrace.

"The last time I saw a human face was when I got off the plane. At the airport, doctors in hazmat suits greeted me and escorted me to the hotel. I can go out of the room to the terrace. Every day, the hotel staff in hazmat suits bring me new towels and bed linen, but don't take away any. I have a pile of 80 towels in the room. All are neatly washed and stacked. At the end of the day I have to occupy myself with something..."

Tosic does receive visits, but the "hazmat-clad" kind.

"They put a temperature gun on my forehead twice a day. The doctor in a hazmat suit comes comes to the door, I open it, he checks on me and leaves. They test me every three days. They also did two anal swabs. I have a feeling they're checking every blood cell. They brought a treadmill, two bicycles, exercise equipment to my suite... I work out every day according to the program of Andrija Milutinovic. I work out twice a day for three hours. I have never been better prepared in terms of fitness."

The biggest problem for Tosic will be his return to a competitive pace, because he has not played since October of last year.

Now, games will be played every three days and the first phase will last until the end of September, but it's not yet known how and when exactly the second phase of the competition will be played.

"Whatever they decide, the plan is to finish the season at the end of October. The championship, which usually lasts ten months, will be completed in 90 days."

(Telegraf.rs)