Former Buccaneers running back Michael Pittman is among the members of the sports world directly affected by the coronavirus outbreak.

ESPN's Jenna Laine shared on Twitter on Thursday that one of Pittman's family members has the virus.

"With his blessing, I am posting that a family member of [Pittman's] contracted the coronavirus, has been in the hospital since last Thursday and is now in a coma and in critical condition. He said they need a miracle."

Laine asked people to respect the Pittman family's privacy, and said the former NFL player asked her to post it "to increase awareness about the dangers of coronavirus."

Pittman played in the NFL for 11 seasons with the Cardinals, Buccaneers and Broncos. He finished his career with 5,627 rushing yards and won the 2003 Super Bowl with Tampa Bay. His oldest son Michael Pittman Jr. was a star receiver at USC and is expected to be selected in the 2020 NFL draft. His younger son Mycah Pittman just finished his freshman season at Oregon.

Worldwide there are more than 128,000 confirmed cases of the virus, which has killed more than 4,700. The outbreak has reached at least 111 countries.

For most people, the virus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. On Wednesday, the World Health Organization declared a pandemic.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.