Leo (name changed to protect identity), a father in his thirties living in the centre of Luxembourg, tested positive for coronavirus on Monday morning. He works in the financial sector, where he continued to attend the office until he fell ill.
He had been suffering with a persistent cough for two weeks, but new symptoms did not appear until the end of last week. Leo explained he had been at the office when he developed a fever, chills and a headache which did not subside. He took paracetamol, but it did not help.
The next morning, Leo acknowledged he was suffering from the flu. That evening, as his symptoms worsened, he realised he likely had coronavirus. On Monday morning he called the hotline, as he had lost his sense of smell. The operator recommended he speak to his GP and get tested at the Junglinster drive-in that morning. Some hours later, the GP contacted Leo to confirm his test results were positive, and advised he stay at home. The doctor said it was likely Leo's wife was infected as well, and advised he keep his distance from his child as well.
Leo was contacted by the Ministry of Health the next day to update him, and was told to contact 112 if his condition deteriorated. Given his age and state of health, the Ministry advised he was not at risk, but Leo was not satisfied with these recommendations.
Your voice: A reader's experience with Covid-19Official advice is to have children looked after by someone else if a parent falls ill, but Leo said this was impossible. He was reluctant to give his child to his parents for fear of transmitting the virus, and there are no available childcare options.
Regarding treatment, Leo was given paracetamol. The GP insisted he did not take anti-inflammatory medication, despite the WHO not recognising harmful effects in coronavirus cases. He was also asked questions about his symptoms and participated in a survey, but was not asked who he had been in contact with.
Since his diagnosis, Leo has isolated himself from the rest of his family, maintaining the 2 metre distance as a minimum. His wife tested negatively for the virus, despite their contact.
Leo's symptoms began to improve from Wednesday, when his headache stopped and breathing issues subsided, but he said he still experienced a constant burning sensation in his nose, and his cough has persisted. Despite the circumstances, he has remained optimistic and said he had experienced worse flu symptoms before.
He is currently facing other issues - as his wife and he are both confined to their homes, they must have any groceries and provisions delivered, but this is not as simple as it sounds. Systems have been put in place to ensure deliveries to the vulnerable, but others are struggling to get delivery slots from Auchan or Cactus. Leo and his wife are reliant on their friends to purchase and drop off food for them.
Although Leo's experience has highlighted the flaws in the system set up by Luxembourg's municipalities, it also underlines the importance of solidarity and friendship in the midst of the crisis.
If Leo's state of health does not deteriorate in the coming days, his quarantine could end after 14 days, leaving him able to resume his activities.
However, in order to do so, he must display no symptoms for at least 48 hours before the end of his confinement. Otherwise, his quarantine will be extended by a week.
When asked about the current health crisis, Leo told us that he thought the pandemic could have been better managed. He felt Luxembourg could have avoided a brutal spread by closing everything for two to three weeks, and said they did not react quickly enough to the threat posed by the virus. When RTL contacted Leo on Thursday, he said his headaches had returned and his cough was still ongoing.
