Kodaline’s Mark Prendergast Is Urging Everyone To Stay Inside As He Tests Positive For COVID-19

Kodaline’s Mark Prendergast is asking everyone to follow guidelines and practise social distancing as he opens up about being diagnosed with coronavirus. 

Speaking with Eoghan McDermott and Doireann Garrihy on RTE’s 2fm Breakfast Show earlier today, the songwriter said that he has been recently diagnosed with the virus, and while he is doing well, he believes that the situation should not be taken lightly by anyone. 

“I’ve never had a cough like it before,”

“Overall my experience wasn’t as bad as it can get,” he said. 

Mark believes that he picked up the virus when travelling through a London airport. He soon became slightly unwell after his trip, with his symptoms slowly growing worse over 4 days. He made the decision to isolate, although Mark admits that he didn’t really believe that he had the virus until his test results came back positive. 

“Even getting the test I was like ‘what am I at’ and even when I was sick I was like ‘no I don’t have it.’ I was supposed to be going to a friend’s 30th and I just cancelled an hour before… even that felt like I was taking it a bit too far, but it’s not until the test results come back and you realise ‘oh God, thank God I stayed home.’”

Following his own experience, Mark is now urging others to be cautious and do the same as him, saying that a ‘be grand’ mentality won’t help us. 

“I advise people to be almost over-cautious, as soon as you feel like you have symptoms you have to stay home – though people should be home already,” he continued.

“Treat it as if there is a chance that you may have it. Don’t have that ‘oh it will be grand mentality’ because that is what I had. It’s quite serious.”

Mark went on to say that he is doing okay now, and said that the rest of the band ‘are fine’ and have not been diagnosed with the virus.

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• Coronavirus
• kodaline