WWE Superstar AJ Styles Reveals He's Recovered After Recent COVID-19 Diagnosis

AJ Styles confirmed in a Twitch stream Wednesday he tested positive for COVID-19 "a couple weeks ago, probably almost a month" ago (via Cageside Seats' Cain A. Knight).

Styles said he didn't experience any significant health effects from the disease aside from a headache.

The former intercontinental champion missed a month of in-ring action, returning for the Aug. 21 edition of SmackDown, where he was defeated for the title by Jeff Hardy.

WWE continued to operate as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in the United States after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis ruled it to be an essential business.

The promotion initially utilized its Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, and has subsequently utilized Orlando's Amway Center to set up the WWE ThunderDome from late August.

WWE received scrutiny for what critics said was a poor set of health and safety protocols, and one member of the developmental roster told Wrestling Inc's Raj Giri in June the company prohibited any employees from publicly disclosing a positive COVID-19 result.

Renee Young, who recently left WWE, told Sports Illustrated's Jimmy Traina that officials appeared to be disappointed after she sent a tweet confirming she had COVID-19.

"They weren't even even like 'You shouldn't have posted it.' But it was like, 'We wish you gave us a heads up,'" she said. "It was bad for PR and whatnot. But again, I wouldn't have even thought to be like, 'Hey guys, I'm gonna tweet that I have COVID, ha, ha.' Like, that was just not what I was thinking about when I posted it."

Young added that "it really shocking to see that this was deemed essential business," referencing WWE's decision to resume television tapings during the spring.