“The worst is an uncontrollable cough,” says Andrew O’Dwyer, who recovers from COVID-19 after catching the new coronavirus during a trip to Italy, where he went skiing in late February.
“I’ve had the worst flu, without a doubt, but I wouldn’t want to get it again,” he says from his self-isolation in a South West London neighborhood.
Despite having type 1 diabetes, having the virus “is not something I should be concerned about,” he says.
He adds that the fever he experienced “is no different from that with typical flu symptoms.”
However, the severity of symptoms can vary greatly from patient to patient.
Older people and those with pre-existing medical conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease) are more likely to become seriously ill and may need hospital treatment.
Until this Friday, March 13, there have been almost 5,000 deaths in the world related to coronaviruses and the number of infected amounts to 134,700 globally.
The World Health Organization (WHO) already considers the outbreak of the new coronavirus as a pandemic.
Andrew was told that the virus was not present in the complex where he was staying, but 21 of the 25 members of his ski group have since been infected.
On his return from Italy to the UK, he decided to stay home and isolate himself as a precaution, despite no symptoms at the time.
“Debilitating cough”
Some people in his group became ill within two days, so he contacted the UK Public Health Service (NHS), which he said gave him “very good” care.
“I did the test before feeling sick, because several people around me had tested positive.”
“Three days later I found out I had it. But it was over a week before it showed symptoms,” he says.
Among them was “quite debilitating cough” and a high fever, but with ups and downs.
The coronavirus could cause serious complications in patients with certain previous illnesses.
He says that taking paracetamol really helped him lower the temperature.
At one point, they had to take him to the hospital by ambulance for an evaluation.
They checked him out, but then they let him go home.
Andrew is now recovering, but it has been a long way.
Friends and family
By the time he finishes his self-isolation, he will have spent 21 days at home, locked up and not leaving.
He has also been trying to work from home, but has found it difficult to concentrate.
“I feel like I’m climbing the walls. It’s hard to have a normal day at work,” he says.
On a positive note, he says that his friends have been very kind and that they have helped him with the purchases.
However, she says she misses her nine-year-old son, whom she hasn’t seen in two weeks. (I)
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