Rachel Fenton has tested positive for coronavirus after losing her sense of smell.
The former ‘Love Island’ star – who is an orthopaedic clinical nurse specialist – is off work and self-isolating as she recovers from her illness, and she warned her social media following she had felt healthy.
In an Instagram video, she said: "My test came back positive. So many of you messaged me about loss of taste and smell which isn’t in the official symptom list.
"But that was the main symptom for me. I didn’t have a temperature or cough. I just felt very tired.
"I had a bit of muscle achiness and a cold. I have completely lost my taste and smell. It’s a lot more severe."
The 27-year-old star – who entered the villa a week into the 2016 series of the ITV2 dating show and was with co-star Rykard Jenkins for 18 months until their 2017 split – revealed she is still feeling relatively healthy despite battling COVID-19.
She added: "I’ve not felt unwell, I’ve felt OK. Not 100 per cent, but not poorly.
"I’ve felt OK, still eating and still got an appetite. My symptoms are really mild.
"You need to be very careful if you’ve had loss of taste and smell to isolate."
Rachel – who described the swab test as "uncomfortable" – confirmed she wouldn’t be returning to work at the hospital until she’s definitely over the respiratory illness, but she’s not sure exactly when that could be yet.
She explained: "I’m not going back to work now until I’m tested as negative. I’m not sure when they’ll get me back for a re-swab.
"For now I’m just isolating and looking after myself. It’s not been horrendous for me."
Love Island’s Rachel Fenton has coronavirus
