Queen guitarist (and noted astrophysicist) Brian May has tested positive for COVID-19. May took to Instagram over the past couple of days to explain the situation, where he credited the vaccine for reducing his symptoms and keeping him out of the hospital.
As May explained in his video posts, he attended a birthday party with his wife, Anita Dobson, on Saturday, December 11th. While he and the other guests took all necessary precautions—including taking booster shots and testing beforehand—by Tuesday, December 14th, eight people who attended the party had tested positive. Though he and his wife had tested negative up to that point, by Tuesday night, they too had positive test results.
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On Saturday, December 18th, May took to Instagram to reassure fans that all was well despite some pretty serious symptoms.
“I had two horrendous days, I have to say,” May explained. “It’s really like the worst flu you can imagine. I felt very despondent. I nearly came on here to show people how pathetic I looked, but I thought: No, this is trying to cry sympathy and it would frighten people… I was pathetic, just didn’t want to talk to anyone, didn’t want to see anyone, get out of bed. Just filled with mess in my head and all the flu symptoms, and a terrible cough.”
Brian went on to credit the three COVID vaccines he received as keeping the symptoms manageable, while also urging people to get boosted. “I lost one of my very good friends to Covid early on, in six days it killed him,” May continued. “It could’ve done me the past six days, but it didn’t because of the jabs.”
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“Firstly, I think I was a little too optimistic yesterday, imagining that the red “T“ line was looking fainter. It’s a different test kit today – but the lines look pretty much of equal intensity today. So I’m assuming the battle inside my body is still in progress,” wrote May in a followup post on Sunday.
He continued, “That dry wheezy cough has returned today, and there is a kind of fountain of irritation on one side of my sinuses. I also keep falling asleep – not in a peaceful kind of way, but in a ‘I can’t keep my eyes open another second’ kind of way … I’m fundamentally OK. Just feeling a bit crap and frustrated at not being able to be out and about at this time of year.”
Brian May then left fans with a final message regarding COVID-19: “For the sake of everyone around you, keep the caution going – masks, social distance, common sense – and only go to a gathering in an enclosed space if you are really sure the risk is worth it. As my dear Mum used to say (in half-jest) — ‘Do as I say – not as I do!'”
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