Florida Gators

Editor's note: This is the latest installment in an occasional series looking at the impact of COVID-19 on current and former University of Florida student-athletes.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Chris Guido is looking at this pandemic from a much different perspective than the one he was introduced to during his freshman season.

A former Gators long snapper, Guido joined the team in 2009 as a walk-on from Lake Brantley High in the Orlando area, where he was a team captain and starting offensive lineman. As the Gators went through preseason camp coming off their second national title in three seasons, Guido was among the newcomers adjusting to two-a-days and life with the nation's top-ranked team.
 

Meanwhile, in June 2009 the World Health Organization declared a H1N1 pandemic was underway – the H1N1 virus is often referred to as the swine flu – and warned that the public needed to take extra precautions. In 2020, the coronavirus pandemic has stirred memories for Guido of his first preseason camp with the Gators and how the swine flu pandemic made its presence felt.

"It's super interesting. I had this happen a little bit while I was there playing at UF and obviously now this is more widespread,'' Guido said. "I remember it really, really clearly because they used to bring surgical soap into the showers for us, the big pumps, and after every practice, after every workout, we had to wash our whole body with the surgical soap."

At least one prominent starter came down with the virus in camp.

"He just got so sick it was crazy,'' Guido said.

More than a decade later, Guido continues to use surgical soap but in a much different setting than in the shower after practice. He is in his second year as a pediatrics resident at Levine Children's Hospital in Charlotte, N.C., and plans to be a general pediatrician when he finishes his residency in the summer of 2021.

Guido finished his career with the Gators in 2012. After he earned a health science degree from UF, he completed his medical degree at UF in 2018. He moved to Charlotte shortly thereafter for his residency. He became aware of the emerging threat of the coronavirus in the United States in early March during one of his rotations at the hospital.

"It was this distant virus that was impacting China and Italy, and it kept creeping up to where it was becoming more and more relevant,'' Guido said. "Finally, I can remember one night when I was on call and we had to transfer a patient from an outside facility and they had infectious symptoms and I had to make the decision whether or not I wanted them to be on airborne precautions because of COVID-19. It was kind of like breaking the ice.

"I ran it by may attending [physician] and they are like, 'yeah, it's something that definitely needs to be done.' That was really the first patient I think coming to our ICU at Levine Children's that heightened our awareness of what was going on. It was a growing process for us. It was 'learn as we go.' The week after that it became more and more routine and we were testing more patients."
 
Guido has tested several pediatric patients for COVID-19 but said as of late last week none had returned positive. North Carolina has more than 7,600 cases of COVID-19 and 254 deaths according to figures in the New York Times database Thursday.

Guido is married with a 14-month-old daughter and his wife is expecting the couple's second baby girl in June. He is taking every precaution to stay healthy and limit any chance of spreading the disease. Usually a snacker during his shifts, Guido said the extra protective gear required during the pandemic has helped him shed a couple of pounds. That's a positive and a slice of his humor.

Otherwise, Guido is completing his residency and learning about much more than about pediatrics. The way the hospital team has come together and communicated effectively during unprecedented times reminds him of his time with the Gators.

"You feel that sense of camaraderie,'' he said. "You go to work and know everybody has got your back. Everyone has stepped up where needed."

Guido knows what that's like.

He grew up dreaming of playing for the Gators like his father, Michael Guido, who played at UF in the late 1970s. He finally got on the field as the team's regular long snapper in 2010, Urban Meyer's final season as head coach, and helped the Gators win at Tennessee by snapping a fake punt directly to Omarius Hines for a 36-yard run.

In 2011 when Will Muschamp took over the program, Guido did not get into a game and decided to stop playing after his junior season. However, when starting long snapper Drew Ferris broke his collarbone early in the 2012 season, Guido stopped by the football offices and offered to return if the team could use his help.

"I did go through a lot of hardships,'' he said. "I hadn't snapped in like eight months."

Muschamp told him they could and starting with the Kentucky game, Guido took over the long-snapping duties for the rest of the season.

Eight years later, he is trying to help in a different way.

"There's a lot of ups and downs in medicine, too,'' Guido said. "Some days in the ICU you have kids who don't do well and don't make it. And then other days miracles happen. I think my background in sports keeps me fighting each day."