New Delhi: Climate activist Greta Thunberg has said that it was “extremely likely” she may have contracted coronavirus during a recent trip around central Europe.
In a post on Instagram Tuesday, the Swedish activist said she has not been tested for the Covid-19 virus in line with the policy in Sweden, but had experienced several symptoms after her return from the trip about two weeks ago with her father.
“Around ten days ago I started feeling some symptoms, exactly the same time as my father — who traveled with me from Brussels. I was feeling tired, had shivers, a sore throat and coughed,” the teenage climate champion said in the post.
Thunberg also said that both she and her father had isolated themselves as a precaution.
“When I returned from my trip around central Europe, I isolated myself (in a borrowed apartment away from my mother and sister) since the number of cases of COVID-19 (in Germany for instance) were similar to Italy in the beginning.”
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‘Stay home, be mindful of high risk category’
Thunberg said she has “basically recovered” now but stressed on the need to stay home in order to slow the spread of the virus. She also urged everyone, especially the young, to take the virus seriously and be mindful of those who belong to the high-risk category.
“Our actions can be the difference between life and death for many others,” she said.
Thunberg’s post received support from several other climate activists, including Genesis Butler, Jamie Margolin and Vanessa Nakate, who commended her on staying home and told her to feel better.
The teenager had earlier also underscored the need to practice social distancing and flatten the coronavirus curve. She had even shared a graph to show how social distancing and listening to experts would help in not contracting the virus.
Her Friday climate strikes have also been shifted online.
The coronavirus pandemic, which began in China, has now spread to 198 countries, killed 21,000 and infected more than 4.7 lakh people globally.
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