Swedish activist Greta Thunberg became an instant icon after a passionate speech on the perils of climate change went viral, making her an instant target in the eyes of many -- including U.S. President Donald Trump. Before long, she was leading marches across the globe, including a record-breaking one in Montreal, Canada, and gracing the cover of Time Magazine as Person of the Year.
Suffice it to say, the teenage activist has become one of the most widely recognizable names in her field, and as such holds a high degree of influence -- particularly with regards to younger demographics. Today, Thunburg took to Instagram to share her own experience with COVID-19, the deadly coronavirus, revealing that she believes to have suffered from several symptoms following a return trip from Central Europe.
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"The last two weeks I’ve stayed inside," she begins, stressing the importance of social distancing measures. 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."
Explaining that the testing protocol in Sweden is reserved for cases of emergency, Thunberg went on to self-diagnose her condition. "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," she writes. "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."
She closes by imploring young people to be mindful of the virus; even if one might not suffer from COVID-19 on an overt level, they run the risk of passing it to someone who might not be so lucky. Hopefully her words can resonate with anyone who remains on the fence about self-isolation, a process that might very well save a life. Stay safe, people.