Famed Irish tv personality Claire Byrne expressed how she felt guilty, shocked and worried after being diagnosed with Covid-19.
Speaking about her experience while hosting her Live show in self-isolation from her garden, she told viewers she thought last week that she simply had a head cold and possible chest infection.
At no point did she have a temperature, which convinced her that she would not be positive for the coronavirus.
She went for a test at a Health Service Executive facility, where a nurse in full protective gear brought her inside, The nurse then asked for her symptoms and the places she had visited recently.
Finally the nurse took a swab from her throat and nasal passage.
The broadcaster’s symptoms got “a little worse” over the following days, with her cough getting “more ingrained”. She developed aching limbs and “real fatigue”.
The worst night of Byrne’s life came when she had hacking cough for three consecutive days. That was the time when she finally felt the shortness of breath. She was finally diagnosed positive for the COVID-19.
She then went into the guilt mode, because of the people who have been infected by her.
Byrne made a list of all the people she had spoken to for more than 15 minutes.
The Army called to get these details as part of follow-up contact tracing. The aim was to inform the people and advise them of what to do.
Byrne thinks she is through the worst of the disease at this stage as the shortness of breath has passed.