Celebrity1 min(s) read
Published 16:14 24 Mar 2020 GMT
The 17-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg has revealed on social media that she has been self-isolating for the last two weeks, saying it is "extremely likely" that she's had COVID-19.
She also revealed that her dad Svante Thunberg experienced "much more intense" symptoms. They had both been on a train tour of Europe before the recent lockdowns had been imposed. Shortly after, they started noticing the symptoms and have been in isolation since then.
Writing in a lengthy Instagram post alongside a selfie, the climate activist said:
"The last two weeks I’ve stayed inside. When I returned from my trip around Central Europe I isolated myself (in a borrowed apartment away from my mother and sister) since the number of cases of COVID-19 (in Germany for instance) were similar to Italy in the beginning. Around ten days ago I started feeling some symptoms, exactly the same time as my father - who traveled with me from Brussels. I was feeling tired, had shivers, a sore throat and coughed. My dad experienced the same symptoms, but much more intense and with a fever.
[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/B-HwpQkJqrc/]]
"In Sweden you can not test yourself for COVID-19 unless you’re in need of emergent medical treatment. Everyone feeling ill are told to stay at home and isolate themselves.
"I have therefore not been tested for COVID-19, but it’s extremely likely that I’ve had it, given the combined symptoms and circumstances."
The US Surgeon General Jerome Adams has a daunting message for Americans on the state of coronavirus: "This week, it’s going to get bad":
[[jwplayerwidget||https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/kr28SjTs-Q0L14jDU.mp4||kr28SjTs]]
Greta continued:
"Now I’ve basically recovered, but - AND THIS IS THE BOTTOM LINE: I almost didn’t feel ill. My last cold was much worse than this! Had it not been for someone else having the virus [simultaneously] I might not even have suspected anything. Then I would just have thought I was feeling unusually tired with a bit of a cough.
[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/B987_oHpSVY/]]
Greta then tells her followers that she hoped to make people aware of how easy it is to catch the virus without realizing.
"And this it what makes it so much more dangerous. Many (especially young people) might not notice any symptoms at all, or very mild symptoms. Then they don’t know they have the virus and can pass it on to people in risk groups.
[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/B9TZNrQJrTA/]]
"We who don’t belong to a risk group have an enormous responsibility, our actions can be the difference between life and death for many others.
"Please keep that in mind, follow the advice from experts and your local authorities and #StayAtHome to slow the spread of the virus. And remember to always take care of each other and help those in need.
#COVID #flattenthecurve"
More to follow...
