coldzera has been competing in IEM Beijing while battling COVID

FaZe Clan star Marcelo “coldzera” David is not in a good place right now.

The Brazilian announced that he has contracted COVID-19. The news was delivered with a succinct message on Instagram that simply stated “corona, you got me.” From there he gave a more in-depth discussion of his symptoms and from the sounds of things, he is not having an easy go of it.

“I’m not feeling well yet. Strong headache and some body aches, senses of smell and taste are gone too. I’ve been taking meds and resting, haven’t played Counter-Strike in four days because of my fever,” coldzera said.

There’s certainly cause for concern with coldzera, but making matters worse is how many people he was in contact with just days before announcing the news. A week ago, he posted photos of himself in a club standing shoulder-to-shoulder with people in a group that included Evil Geniuses coach Wilton “zews” Prado and MIBR’s Vito “kNgV-” Giuseppe. It’s easy to see how this one gathering could end up being a serious issue across all of Counter-Strike.

FaZe Clan looking strong in IEM Beijing despite coldzera illness

Despite being in a bad physical state, coldzera has been competing in IEM XV Beijing and has done a pretty good job of it. The team sprinted through Group A at the event, taking wins over OG and Vitality to secure a spot in the playoffs. 

coldzera was particularly strong in his game against OG. In a double overtime marathon on Dust 2, coldzera topped the server with a 36-29 K-D, averaging 95.4 damage per round. Though FaZe actually lost that map, he stayed hot in the decider on Mirage and helped FaZe progress forward.

coldzera isn’t the first esports pro to gut his way through a COVID-19 diagnosis. Early on in the pandemic, Apex Legends pro Brenden “Casper” Marino announced that he was diagnosed with COVID and had symptoms that included coughing blood and chest pain. Despite that, he competed in the Apex Legends Global Online Tournament.

The Brazilian star will have a bit of time to recover before his next game. The playoffs for IEM Beijing begin in a week, allowing FaZe to sit back and study tape while coldzera is on the mend.