Love Island’s Rachel Fenton reveals she’s caught Covid a SECOND time

Love Island’s Rachel Fenton first caught coronavirus in March and made a full recovery, but she revealed she has caught it a second time. 

The Orthopaedic Clinical Nurse Specialist, 27, took to Instagram Stories on Sunday to reveal her ‘scary’ news and said anyone who has been infected before is not immune to catching the virus again. 

Rachel said she has undergone weekly tests since she became Covid-free in April and that they were all negative until now – she also had antibodies, leading her to question if she had the mutant strain.   

The NHS frontline worker wrote on Twitter: ‘I’ve been re-infected with COVID-19. I tested positive back in March and also had the antibodies. 

‘I knew reinfection did happen but I didn’t think it was that common? I think it’s important people know that reinfection is happening, it could be the new strain?

‘I’ve had another positive swab recently. I had very mild symptoms which were not like the symptoms I had before. 

‘Has anyone else experienced a second positive Covid-19 swab?’

Then taking to Instagram Stories, Rachel discussed positive test further and said that luckily she had been on annual leave and hadn’t been in contact with patients. 

She said: ‘I wasn’t sure if I should talk about this, but it’s quite important. I was diagnosed with Covid back in March. I also had the anitiboties.

‘I’m tested weekly as a nurse and I’ve always tested negative since, but I’ve recently tested positive again. I’ve been reinfected with the virus.  

‘It’s quite scary. I knew reinfection did happen but I was not aware it was that common. Clearly there is another strain of it around.

‘Everyone needs to be extremely careful. Reinfection does happen. Once you’ve had it, you are not immune to it.

‘I was on annual leave, so there was no patient contact, thank God. 

‘It’s so important to socially distance and wear a mask and it’s important to know reinfection happens even if you have the antibodies.’ 

Back in April, Rachel had said she was awaiting a negative test after falling in so she could return to work.   

At the time, she revealed she struggled to be ill without her family close by.  

She said at the time: ‘I’ve been having lots of messages asking how I am and when my re-swabs are and what’s the situation moving forward. 

‘I’ve had my first swab done and I’m going for my second one tomorrow. I haven’t had any results back yet but I think I get them back on Friday.  

‘But I am not entirely sure. I know my work are really busy swabbing other nurses, so just having to be quite patient with this whole process.’

She continued: ‘My symptoms have completely gone now which is really good. I feel completely back to normal. I feel maybe a little more fatigued than I normally would.

‘I’m still isolating at the moment until I get my two negatives and I can go back to work. I’m going to be in my flat with my flatmate.

‘Interestingly, she has had no symptoms whatsoever of coronavirus. She has been living with me when I got my positive diagnosis and she has not presented any symptoms. 

‘It’s really weird. So she might have had it and just had no symptoms or she might not have had it. It’s pretty strange.’  

Rachel had also urged anyone struggling to do some online quizzes, saying she was ‘really struggling over Easter, not seeing her family’ and that helped. 

At the start of the month, Rachel had taken to Instagram as she discussed losing her sense of taste and smell, and revealed she had experienced sleep disturbance and flushed cheeks. 

Alongside a snap in her nurse uniform, Rachel penned: ‘I’m so overwhelmed & grateful for everyone’s lovely messages of support at this time.

‘It’s scary and uncertain for so many – I’m determined to beat this virus as soon as possible so I can get back to the hospital to help those most in need. Sending love to everyone & hope you’re all staying safe and well x’.

Taking to her Stories, Rachel clarified her own symptoms of the virus. 

She recalled at the time: ‘I first started feeling bad last Thursday, my sense of taste and smell started to really go on Saturday.

‘I think my taste is slightly coming back but I do know people whose symptoms have lasted two, three weeks…

‘My sleep is really disturbed, I wake up in the middle of the night and I see things in my room and not know what they are. It’s really weird.’

Revealing that she was feeling better, Rachel continued: ‘My chest pain is kind of going. I feel OK, I haven’t got a cold anymore or a sore throat so I hope I’m on the mend.

‘I know people who have felt better before they feel worse so I hope that isn’t going to happen to me.

‘One of my friends suggested I put myself forward for clinical trials to help the NHS find a vaccine and that’s something I’m considering.’

Showing off her complexion, Rachel added: ‘Another thing is my face keeps going really red and flushed, especially around my cheeks’.

Keen to spread word about the virus, the reality star then tweeted: ‘For me, my most extreme symptom was the complete loss of taste and smell – I did NOT have a fever or a cough. 

‘This is why people need to be careful as I think it’s presenting in many different ways!’

Rachel revealed that her main symptoms are not officially being listed as red flags by the NHS.

She explained that she took the test after losing the ability to taste and smell, while a cough and high temperature are listed as the main symptoms.

She wrote: ‘So I came back positive with the virus… everyone who’s been messaging me about their sense of taste and smell going it most likely means you have it so follow guidelines and isolate.’

In a further video, the NHS staffer went on to explain more about her symptoms, as she said:  ‘My test came back positive. So many of you messaged me about loss of taste and smell which isn’t in the official symptom list.

‘But that was the main symptom for me. I didn’t have a temperature or cough. I just felt very tired. I had a bit of muscle achiness and a cold. I have completely lost my taste and smell. It’s a lot more severe.’

The diagnosis was made all the more worrying as the erstwhile reality star admitted that she otherwise felt in good health, so could well have continued to work, had she not taken the initiative to get tested. 

She said: ‘I’ve not felt unwell, I’ve felt OK. not 100 per cent, but not poorly. I’ve felt OK, still eating and still got an appetite. My symptoms are really mild. You need to be very careful if you’ve had loss of taste and smell to isolate. 

‘I’m not going back to work now until I’m tested as negative. I’m not sure when they’ll get me back for a re-swab. For now I’m just isolating and looking after myself. It’s not been horrendous for me.’

She also warned that testing for the virus was an uncomfortable experience as she added: ‘The swab they do for the coronavirus test is uncomfortable. My friend warned me about it and I’m so glad she did.

‘I just want to warn you, they swab your nose and your throat. It goes far up your nose. It makes your eyes water and it’s really far back in your throat too. It’s not the most comfortable, but obviously so worth doing.’

The blonde beauty rose to prominence after appearing in the second season of Love Island, where she met and embarked on an 18-month romance with Rykard Jenkins.