Coronavirus patient in Ireland: ‘Only symptom I had was fever’

One of the first coronavirus patients in Ireland has said the only symptom he displayed was a fever, and he did not have any respiratory problems when he tested positive for the condition.

Paul*, whose actual identity was not disclosed, told RTÉ’s Claire Byrne Live show he was “a little bit worried” upon learning he contracted the condition after returning from a trip abroad.

“The only symptoms I had was, basically, the fever. I didn’t have any respiratory problem, any lung inflammation, any cough, any sneezing, so was just the fever,” he said.

“Based on the fact I was abroad I preferred to self-isolate myself anyway because I was not sure if it was safe to go around,” he said.

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Paul is one of 24 confirmed cases of coronavirus, officially known as Covid-19, in the Republic, but health officials fear large portions of the population may contract the disease in the coming weeks.

On Monday, St Patrick’s Day parades in Dublin and across the country were cancelled, as several other European countries such as France and Germany also moved to ban mass public gatherings.

In an unprecedented move Italian prime minister Giuseppe Conte extended a lockdown on northern regions worst affected by the disease to the entire country.

Speaking by phone on Claire Byrne Live, Paul described the process of how he was tested for the condition, and the steps taken following the positive result.

A medical officer was sent to his apartment to take a swab of his throat and nose and after 24 hours he was informed he had tested positive. Less than an hour later was taken to hospital, where he remains in isolation.

“I didn’t have any severe symptoms, I actually feel great now. I had a fever for a couple of days and now, from Friday, I don’t have any more symptoms,” he told the RTÉ One show.

Initial reaction

Commenting on his initial reaction after learning he had the coronavirus, he said: “I was a little bit worried of course, but it’s a new virus and all this information is going around.

“It might be dangerous but at the same time most of the people recover and that is the official information that we have. So based on the facts, and that I am quite young, I was not scared,” he said.

Following his positive test, the Health Service Executive asked Paul "a lot of questions" about who he had been in contact with in attempts to trace whether he had passed it on to someone else, he said.

“I am currently in isolation in a private room and the nurses and medical officers are really, really nice with me,” he said.

“I am being tested every day for the virus and when I will be negative for twice in a row, so for two consecutive days, it means I will be free of the virus and I can go back home,” he said.

Paul said the public should take advice on the coronavirus from health authorities rather than social media.