Just days after Brian May, 74, revealed that he’d tested positive for COVID-19, the Queen guitarist updated his status on Monday (Dec. 20) with the news that he’s still struggling with the coronavirus and another plea for fans to follow expert advice on avoiding infection
“Day 8 for me – the 8th day after my body was invaded by enough Coronavirus organisms to bring me down,” May wrote in an Instagram post that included a short video clip with the latest results of his at-home test. “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. 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.”
May said he keeps finding himself falling asleep, but “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.”
In his initial post over the weekend, May pleaded with fans to not send him their sympathy, while noting that it had been a “horrible” few days, but that he was feeling okay. The rock icon implored his followers to “take extra care” with the “incredibly transmissible” virus when out and about to avoid having it interrupt their Christmas plans.
The Queen co-founder called anti-vaxxers “fruitcakes” this summer, strongly supporting the science behind the vaccines that experts say provide strong protection from the virus that has killed more than five million worldwide and more than 800,000 in the United States. “Sorry – this stuff isn’t entertaining any more – but I figure at least I can report it as info that might help somebody out there to feel less apprehensive,” May said in Monday’s update.
“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. But I think we’re all feeling a bit of that – right ? And it’s so clear that the new Omicron variant is completely out of control in the UK. And probably in the whole world of humans.” The latter is a reference to the highly transmissible new COVID variant that experts say is a serious threat to the unvaccinated.
“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,” May said. “As my dear Mum used to say (in half-jest) — ‘Do as I say – not as I do !’”
In a pair of videos on Sunday, May described being a “hermit” for the past 20 months, but then going to a birthday party last weekend after taking a test that morning and recently getting his third vaccine jab. “In retrospect perhaps we made the wrong decision,” he said of what “seemed” like a safe situation, though one where the attendees did not wear masks. “The new variant seems to be so incredibly transmissible.” Over the next few days, both May and his wife began feeling ill as news got to him that eight people from the party reported testing positive despite receiving negative results several times.
“It took that long — Saturday to Tuesday — for the tests to show anything,” he said, noting that the couple were probably infectious for the two days as they continued to test negative; they are now quarantining after what May said were two horrible days of what felt like the worst flu he’s ever had.
See May’s posts below.
