Pepe Reina reveals COVID-19 diagnosis, but says his thoughts are with less privileged
Aston Villa's Spanish goalkeeper admitted that last week it "was my turn to go through the bug".
Spanish goalkeeper Pepe Reina has highlighted his “privileged” position after revealing that he was diagnosed over the phone with coronavirus by doctors last week.
The Aston Villa keeper has been in self-isolation at his home in Birmingham since he came down with several COVID-19 symptoms last week, including a dry cough, fever and difficulty breathing.
However, in an interview with Spanish radio station Cope, the former Liverpool number one said he is now feeling "great" after making a full recovery, while also expressing his sympathy for those less fortunate facing life on lockdown.
His comments after UK prime minister, Boris Johnson, announced strict lockdown measures for Britain on Monday evening.
Reina: We are very privileged
“Last week it was my turn to go through the bug. It has been a different week, of taking precautions not to infect the people who live with me,” said the 37-year-old keeper.
“Here tests are not conducted unless you are very bad. Speaking to the doctors, the symptoms I had were of it, without official confirmation of it but everything pointed to it.
“We are very privileged people. We have a big house, with a garden. I think of the people who live in a 70m squared apartment with two children and for me they are people who are showing a lot of strength.”
Reina calls for strict adherence to confinement measures
Reina has been living in Birmingham since joining Villa on loan from AC Milan in January. The former Spain international had played six league games for the Villains before the suspension of the Premier League due to the coronavirus crisis a few weeks ago.
He also had a message for Cope’s listeners in Spain, which has so far registered 39,673 cases and 2,696 deaths, and urged his compatriots to adhere to the strict lockdown measures that were put into force by the Spanish government on Saturday, March 14.
He said: “The stricter we are, the sooner everything will pass. You have to be severe with this confinement. We will surely come out of this situation strengthened and more united."