Montpellier’s Junior Sambia placed in ‘artificial coma’ after severe coronavirus symptoms

Midfielder, 23, is the first player in France’s Ligue 1 to contract Covid-19

Montpellier midfielder Junior Sambia has been placed in an “artificial coma” after displaying severe symptoms of coronavirus, the 23-year-old’s agent has confirmed.

Sambia, who became the first player in France’s Ligue 1 to contract Covid-19, was admitted to hospital last Tuesday after suffering from gastroenteritis-like symptoms for three days.

Sambia initially tested negative for coronavirus and was due to return home on Wednesday before he began to experience respiratory problems.

On Thursday, Sambia was moved to an intensive care unit before being placed in a coma.

“His condition is stable this Friday. It has not deteriorated, nor improved,’ his agent Frederic Guerra told Le Parisien. “It is tough. He really respected confinement. He did everything well. He must have contracted the virus while shopping.

“He suffered three days of severe diarrhoea – like gastroenteritis. Then, on Tuesday morning, he went to the hospital. I reached him when he was on an IV.

“He had just received the Covid-19 test result. This one was negative. He was due to leave on Wednesday, then his condition worsened with his lungs.

“It grew more complicated in transit. He went back to the same hospital, then he changed hospitals twice before being placed in an artificial coma.”