Brian May gives COVID update after catching virus at a birthday party

20 December 2021, 11:52

Queen's Brian May with Covid results inset
Queen's Brian May has kept fans informed about his Covid battle. Picture: 1. Don Arnold/WireImage/Getty 2. Instagram/brianmayforreal

By Jenny Mensah

The legendary Queen guitarist has been updating his fans on how he caught the virus and some of his symptoms.

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Brian May has kept fans updated on his COVID battle and urged them to keep being cautious.

The Queen guitarist revealed he caught the virus while at a small birthday party and has given his followers an update of his symptoms on "Day 8".

Taking to Instagram, the Bohemian Rhapsody star wrote: "Day 8 for me - the 8th day after my body was invaded by enough Coronavirus organisms to bring me down. 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."

He added: "It also feels like it - 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. So it’s a damn good job this happened at a time when I’m NOT crazy busy as usual."

See his full post below:

The rocker added that although lateral flow tests were a "useful guide," you could test negative and in fact be infectious all day and the only way to careful is by taking precautions.

The We Will Rock You legend added: "I say again … it’s very apparent now that although the lateral flow test is a useful guide, if you get a negative result tomorrow morning, you cannot 100% guarantee that you are not infected and infectious all day. So 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."

READ MORE: Queen's Brian May criticises BRIT Awards scrapping male and female categories

May first confirmed the news he'd caught the virus over the weekend, writing: "Yep. The shocking day finally came for me. The dreaded double red line. And yes - definitely NO sympathy please - it has been a truly horrible few days, but I’m OK. And I will tell the tale. PLEASE take extra care out there, good folks. This thing is incredibly transmissible. You really do NOT want it messing up YOUR Christmas. With love - Bri."

It's not the first time the Brian May - who is married to former EastEnders star Anita Dobson - has been candid about his health issues.

Last year, the Queen rocker revealed that he'd suffered from a heart attack and was "very near death".

"I had three arteries which were congested, and in danger of blocking the supply of blood to my heart," the guitarist revealed. "There was a lot of pressure from some quarters to have open heart surgery where they saw through your rib cage and have a triple heart bypass…"

A lot of people said: 'If you don't do this you're throwing away your only opportunity and you'll regret it for the rest of your life'.

But I had other people telling me: 'Look, you don't need to do this, you could have three stents put in and you can walk tonight.'"

He added, reassuring his fans: "I didn't die, I came out... I'm here and I'm ready to rock".

Brian May reveals he suffered a heart attack and was 'very near death'

Soon after, the musician took to social media to thank fans and the media for their "torrent of love and support".

"It's just unbelievable," he gushed. "This is going to sound very strange, but I sort of feel like I died and yet I was able to come to the funeral and see all the tributes..."

READ MORE: Brian May answers his Most Googled Questions

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