Joshua Kimmich will miss FC Bayern for the rest of the first half of the season after the unvaccinated player was infected with the corona virus. Image: www.imago-images.de / Frank Hoermann
analysis
Hasan Salihamidžić was still in good spirits on Wednesday evening. Before the Champions League game against FC Barcelona on Wednesday evening, the FC sports director stated Bavaria: “I know our Jo, of course he will give everything to come back quickly.” Because on Wednesday evening Joshua Kimmich was able to test himself free after his corona infection. In a half-sentence he referred to the upcoming medical test that the 26-year-old had to complete on Thursday, but the joy of seeing Kimmich back on the field was evident in Salihamidžić.
Now, of all things, these tests ensured that nothing would come of a quick return to the field for the time being. In a statement on Thursday afternoon, FC Bayern announced that Munich would have to do without their midfield star until the end of the year. The reason: Kimmich cannot fully train again due to slight infiltration in the lungs.
For sports medicine specialist Robert Margerie, this is an alarming sign. “This shows that the lungs are reacting, possibly with pneumonia and that he has a more severe corona course”the sports doctor explains to watson.
Infiltration of the lungs can also occur in other diseases
A slight infiltration of the lungs is a collection of fluids. The bronchi or alveoli are affected by the virus. An X-ray would show slight shadows on the lungs. However, this is not a special phenomenon due to the corona disease, but can also occur after other infections and mild pneumonia.
Nevertheless, the sports doctor also makes it clear that Kimmich was lucky in misfortune. “People who end up in the intensive care unit and have to be ventilated have a strong infiltration of the lungs. There, radiologically, there is complete shadowing.”
However, Margerie does not initially expect any long-term damage. Because Kimmich also stated in the club announcement that he was fine. “That sounds good at first and gives hope that he will fully recover.”
Vaccination could have avoided lung disease
Meanwhile, Joshua Kimmich has been missing from FC Bayern since the beginning of November. After his last competitive game for Munich on November 6th, he had to go into a two-week quarantine as an unvaccinated contact person for teammate Niklas Süle who tested positive. After a day of training, Kimmich had to be quarantined again because he had contact with a person who tested positive in his private life.
Kimmich infected himself
On November 24th, FC Bayern made public that the national player had been infected with the virus. As early as October, Kimmich stated in the interview on the TV broadcaster Sky that he had concerns about long-term consequences and had not yet been vaccinated because of this.
“At that moment, he actively decided against the vaccination and opted for an illness without protection,” the sports doctor said. “There is a high probability that with a vaccination he would not have developed shorter downtimes and the lung complications.”
With a vaccination against that Coronavirus diseases could also occur. “But then with shorter courses and milder symptoms.” And adds: “You feel weak and have a fever, but after that you can continue to train normally.”
Kimmich avoids commenting on a possible vaccination
In the statement of the club and by Kimmich himself Instagram he has so far avoided any suggestion that he wants to be vaccinated after all. National coach Hansi Flick and Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann had repeatedly made hints in the past that the leading player would now tend to have a vaccination.
In the message, the midfielder simply said: “I will therefore do some advanced training and can hardly wait to be fully back in January.” The second half of the season begins for Bayern with a home game against Borussia Mönchengladbach on January 7th.
Sports medicine specialist Margerie, however, doubts whether this is possible. “It is his optimistic estimate that he will be able to fully participate again in January. But that will be seen first.”
Joshua Kimmich (left) and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting are struggling with the consequences of their corona infection. Image: www.imago-images.de / Frank Hoermann
Not only Kimmich is struggling with the consequences of an infection
For the sports doctor, however, the Kimmich case provides enough arguments for a vaccination. “It shows that an infection is not trivial. Which young person has been sidelined with an infection for six to eight weeks? That goes well beyond the duration of the flu.”
After the debate about the unvaccinated Stars of FC Bayern Corona does not let go of Munich. Because Joshua Kimmich is not the only Bayern star who is struggling with the aftermath of a corona infection. Striker Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting will probably only be available to the Munich team again in the new year.
“With Choupo, the after-effects of his corona infection are such that we will wait a week until the next examination is due and then we will decide whether he can be exposed to more stress. He’s negative, of course, but he still has problems that prevent early training“, said Bayern coach Nagelsmann at a press conference on Tuesday.
And so the sports doctor makes it clear again. “A vaccination, especially a triple vaccination, has a very high probability of not being so seriously ill with Corona.”