Peter Dutton was finally cleared of Covid-19 symptoms and allowed to leave isolation this week, almost one month after he was initially diagnosed. And while the home affairs minister has recovered from his bout of the virus, Dutton has now warned that Covid-19 is “more serious than people realise”.
Speaking to Ray Hadley on his 2GB morning radio show yesterday, the 49-year-old pollie urged the Australian public not to be complacent when it comes to the risks of coronavirus, as he revealed details of his own fight with the illness.
“This is a much more serious disease than people realise,” he told Hadley, just one day after leaving isolation. “I had flu-like symptoms to start with, then felt on top of the world within four or five days, but it’s the second week… it sneaks back up on you.
“This is not going away in the next month or two, it’s going to be here with us for a period of time.”
Dutton went on to reveal how he even considered admitting himself back into hopsital at one point after his symptoms returned. He added: “It lingers and it comes back and it can come back in force. I went to bed one night thinking if it’s any worse in the morning in terms of the labouring of my breathing I’d go back up to hospital.
“People shouldn’t be complacent about it. A number of younger people have been in intensive care as well, so just be very careful.”
— Peter Dutton (@Hon_PeterDutton) March 13, 2020
Dutton revealed his diagnosis on Twitter on March 13, in a statement that read: “This morning I woke up with a temperature and sore throat. I immediately contacted the Queensland Department of Health and was subsequently tested for COVID-19.
“I was advised by Queensland Health this afternoon that the test had returned positive. It is the policy of Queensland Health that anyone who tests positive is to be admitted into hospitalised and I have complied with their advice.
“I feel fine and will provide an update in due course.”
Dutton isn’t the only politician to have tested positive for Covid-19 in recent weeks, with a number of Australian elected officials contracting the virus, including Senators Rex Patrick and Susan McDonald.
While in the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Boris Johnson recently spent several nights in intensive care after his coronavirus symptoms worsened. It was confirmed on Friday morning (AEDT) that Johnson had been moved out of ICU, but remained in hopsital for treatment.
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