‘The day I submitted my PhD was the day I felt my first Covid symptom’

The day Shane Cassidy submitted his PhD was also the day he developed his first symptom of Covid 19.

Shane, who is a Music Therapist at The National Rehabilitation Hospital, had waited for this day for months, and when he lost his sense of smell he didn't think too much of it. He told Lovin that he just put it down to weeks of surviving on only 'caffeine and Deliveroo' while getting his PhD over the line. 'My body was completely run down. I lost the sense of smell but at that stage in early April, loss of smell hadn't been listed as a symptom at all. We actually went so far as to cut the pollen out of lillies that we had in the house!'. But three days later his temperature started to climb: 'My energy levels were totally zapped, and again, I was putting it down to the aftermath of the PhD. I had a cough, but that never really got too bad.' 'By the following Tuesday, I was growing more suspicious that it may have been Covid, and called my GP. This was also at the time where delays in testing were being slated in the media. 'However, I was called for a test within 24 hours and got my positive result by the Saturday, so I was extremely lucky with the quick turnaround.' Shane has been dating PR guru Rob Kenny for two years, and surprisingly Rob never experienced any symptoms. Shane said: 'He did have to isolate of course, but he had no symptoms at all at any stage!' When looking back at the experience, Shane's predominant memory is the extreme fatigue. 'Overall my main symptom was a complete lack of energy. I was sleeping much of the day! My lungs were quite sore, particularly at night or when lying down. 'It was a strange sensation, I could almost feel the fluid in my lungs. My breathing was relatively okay, apart from one night when it became quite difficult to get air in. I did get worried that night.' The fatigue lasted a lot longer than the 14 day isolation period for Shane; 'Even when my 14 day isolation had ended, my energy levels were still extremely low. I remember heading out for a walk to the park, but made it only as far as the park gates before having to turn back to go home. I was zapped!' 'Now almost five months later, I still get a strange sensation and pain in my right lung every so often. 'I consider myself very lucky though, that it didn’t get out of hand or that I didn’t have to go to hospital. 'I’m no expert, but I personally put it down to my immune system being compromised after a stressful few months. I now take my daily dose of vitamins and super-greens in an attempt to boost the immune system.' Read next: WATCH: Large crowds gather in Dublin for anti-mask protest