New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton is doing better 1 week into his battle with coronavirus ... saying Monday he's "feeling okay."
The 56-year-old started displaying symptoms of COVID-19 last Monday ... saying he had a low-grade fever with fatigue, chills and general flu-like malaise.
But, Payton -- who officially tested positive for the virus last Thursday -- said in an interview with Michael Strahan on "Good Morning America" he's gotten better every day since.
.@Saints head coach Sean Payton is speaking out to @michaelstrahan on his coronavirus diagnosis as the first member of the NFL community to test positive. https://t.co/ibwxovrIfj pic.twitter.com/eClSVWBaOP
— Good Morning America (@GMA) March 23, 2020
"When I went in last week on Monday ... certainly felt like I had the flu," Payton said. "Just as we all would know what that feels like where you just want to lay in bed and not doing anything."
"And, then gradually, during the course of this week, I would say I've progressively gotten a little better each day. I haven't had to deal with any respiratory issues."
Payton says he's still feeling the effects of the virus, though ... telling Strahan that shortly after he begins to exert energy -- like on household chores -- it ain't long before he wants to get back in bed.
"You might get up and start working on a section of the house or cleaning the dining room or something and then in about 20 minutes, you just feel like you want to lay down again and take a nap."
Payton -- who says he's still conducting Saints draft prep with his staff via video conference calls -- stressed to Strahan the importance of people following social distancing rules to help stop the spread of the virus.
"Man, there's some common sense here," Payton said. "There's too much science right now and there's too much data for us to be ignoring that."