‘I was embarrassed about contracting the virus’: Millie Mackintosh reveals she secretly battled Covid – and feared she would be hospitalised after ‘developing shortness of breath’
Millie Mackintosh secretly battled Covid ‘a few months ago’, and feared she would be hospitalised after developing ‘shortness of breath’.
The former Made In Chelsea star, 31, admitted she felt ‘upset and embarrassed’ to have contracted the virus, and said it ‘affected her mental health’ in an Instagram post on Wednesday morning.
Millie confirmed her husband, Hugo Taylor, 34, also tested positive for coronavirus, leaving her fearing the couple wouldn’t be able to care for their baby daughter Sienna, nine months.
‘Upset’: Millie Mackintosh took to Instagram on Wednesday to reveal she caught Covid a few months ago and feared she would be hospitalised after ‘developing shortness of breath’
She wrote: ‘A few months ago I had Covid – I had a cold which developed into flu like symptoms, and soon after that I lost my sense of smell, which resulted in Hugo and I both testing positive.
‘I felt upset with myself and embarrassed about contracting the virus, which is silly considering quite how contagious it is, but there’s a stigma and guilt around this illness that isn’t spoken of much.
‘I missed not being able to go for a walk while we isolated at home but it wasn’t bad as I thought it would be, but I’d be lying if I said the experience didn’t affect my mental health.
Stigma: Millie wrote a long post along her photo as she explained how she had been feeling
‘When I started to develop a fever, coughing fits and shortness of breath I got really anxious I’d end up in hospital.
‘I wanted to be fit and well to be able to take proper care of Sienna! (Luckily she only had cold like symptoms and Hugo didn’t feel too bad and did a great job of daddy daycare).’
Millie continued: ‘After a few days I felt much better but it took 2-3 weeks for my energy to go back to normal and my sense of smell has still not returned.
‘You realise what a joy it is to smell your coffee in the morning or dinner cooking in the evening and how much I took it for granted before!
Work it: Millie took to Instagram on Monday night to share a video of one of her impressive home workouts
‘Has anyone else experienced this? Hoping it comes back soon! I feel very lucky our experience with Covid wasn’t worse and I just want to urge people to follow the guidelines, our bodies aren’t immune to this virus.
‘Stay home, stay safe, look out for each other and know that the end is in sight! #stayhomesavelives #protectthenhs.’
Millie has been working out at home but said she is missing the gym and recently told fans she is 11lbs (5KG) heavier than before giving birth to Sienna.
She insisted that she isn’t attempting to regain her pre-pregnancy weight and is focusing on maintaining a strong mental and physical health.
Sharing a snap of her wearing a black sports bra and turquoise gym leggings, she said: ‘I am about 5KG heavier than pre-pregnancy currently and feeling great.
‘I am not aiming to be the same weight as before. My goal is to feel strong physically and mentally. I work out because I enjoy it not to meet a certain weight on the scales.’
Concerns: Millie and her husband Hugo both tested positive for Covid and were worried about who would take care of their daughter if they were hospitalised