First Dates waitress Laura Tott reveals coronavirus struggle after working as a paramedic

15 April 2020, 15:38 | Updated: 15 April 2020, 15:45

Laura Tott from Channel 4's First Dates has spoken out about her coronavirus diagnosis after becoming an NHS paramedic.

First Dates waitress Laura Tott has revealed the symptoms she has been struggling with after contracting coronavirus.

The TV star became a registered paramedic in April 2019 after studying while working on the Channel 4 dating show.

Sharing a selfie on Instagram on Tuesday, Laura said she 'kinda knew' she was ill, but was shocked when she tested positive for COVID-19.

You can find the latest Coronavirus (Covid-19) advice from the NHS here

Writing alongside the photo of herself, she explained: “Today’s been a weird one, kinda knew I had contracted it but actually hearing the word ‘positive’ threw me a little.

View this post on Instagram

A little throwback to when I didn’t have Corona virus, and when I brushed my hair 😅 Today’s been a weird one, kinda knew I had contracted it but actually hearing the word ‘positive’ threw me a little. I know I’ve been quieter on social media recently but I’ve felt like absolute rubbish. Never had any form of flu before so I’m not handling it well 😂 Never slept so much! Just wanna thank every single person who is staying in their house and doing their bit still, let’s all beat this Rona bitch. Just wanna say that I am ok, just feels like a really bad cold, So I’m one of the lucky ones. Wanna spread awareness, My first symptoms were complete loss of taste and smell, and then felt like I had sinusitis, I think these symptoms need to be taken way more seriously. I had no cough or fever at first, and still have no cough now. Stay safe and well everyone! Netflix recommendations welcome, it’s gonna be a long week for me 😂❤️

A post shared by Laura Nicole Tott (@lauratott__) on Apr 14, 2020 at 11:28am PDT

“I know I’ve been quieter on social media recently but I’ve felt like absolute rubbish. Never had any form of flu before so I’m not handling it well 😂 Never slept so much!”

Laura went on to thank her followers for following government rules and staying indoors during the pandemic, as she continued: “Just wanna say that I am ok, just feels like a really bad cold. So I’m one of the lucky ones.”

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The star finally added: “Stay safe and well everyone! Netflix recommendations welcome, it’s gonna be a long week for me!”

Following up her message, Laura gave her followers a break-down of how the illness developed in her.

After saying she was “really lucky” to only experience mild symptoms, she revealed it started with aches and pains in her legs and back, before she lost her sense of taste and smell completely.

By day three, Laura started to “feel really sick” and describes feeling like her “head was under water” with fever and chills.

Fans were quick to comment on Laura’s social media messages, with one writing: “Sorry to hear you are ill Laura. Rest up.”

“Rest up, you’ve done the country so proud ❤️,” said another, while a third added: “From one NHS worker to another thank you for your work and get better soon 😍 🌈”

This comes after Manchester-born Laura revealed she had trained as a paramedic in April last year.

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Taking to Twitter at the time, she said: "I DID IT! I'm a registered paramedic. Tonight marks my first shift as a paramedic.

"Wanted to do this for as long as I can remember. Never been so excited/nervous."

She later added: "And yes of course I’ll still be doing First Dates."

What are the symptoms of coronavirus?

The main symptoms of coronavirus are:

a high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)

a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)

To protect others, do not go to places like a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital if you have these symptoms. Stay at home.

Find out more from the NHS website.

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