Roger Gracie has shared the good news that he has now recovered from COVID-19, but is warning people that the virus can be brutal.

In an interview with Combate, the former UFC fighter and member of the famous Gracie family shared that he first started getting symptoms of the virus in March, with a cough and fever being the first signs that something was wrong. He started to experience shortness of breath and requested an ambulance, but the 38-year-old was deemed well enough to stay at home to recover.

Gracie was sick for about ten days and considered himself recovered about two weeks ago. On the eighth day of symptoms, he says, he felt that he was beginning to recover, but the following day, his symptoms were strong again. Gracie says his girlfriend also got the virus and experienced four days of symptoms that included fever, body aches, and fatigue. She has also recovered from her illness.

Gracie told Combate that even though the virus usually affects people who are elderly or have pre-existing conditions, people of all ages should be aware of how it can impact them. “There are a lot of friends that I talked to who thought I wouldn’t get it because I was healthy, young. A lot of people are dying. A friend of a friend in Italy was a marathon runner, was 35 years old and died. My teacher’s girlfriend’s cousin is 30 years old and is hospitalized. And there are thousands that we don’t know about. It is necessary to raise awareness. The disease really affects the most fragile, the oldest, but also other people. You cannot neglect it. It’s not a joke.”

The athlete’s children thankfully didn’t contract the virus. Now, his concern is his academy and staff, which have been impacted by a coronavirus-related closure.