Hugh Grant health: The Undoing actor describes his unusual coronavirus ordeal – symptoms

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Hugh Grant is back on screens, albeit considerably smaller ones than we are used to seeing him on. The Hollywood legend is not known for trading cinema for television but he has recently made an exception to his rule. The British actor is currently starring in the brooding thriller The Undoing, alongside Nicole Kidman, 53.

Hugh’s departure from the big screen is not the only surprise development in his life as of late.

The star recently revealed he’d had coronavirus last winter on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

The British legend was quick to reassure Stephen and his fans that he had developed antibodies to the viral pathogen and he’d been tested for them within the last month.

The actor went on to describe the unusual onslaught of symptoms he experienced.

A profusion of sweet marked the beginning of his deterioration, he revealed.

He said: “It was like a poncho of sweat, embarrassing really.

“Then my eyeballs felt about three sizes too big and this feeling as though an enormous man was sitting on my chest – Harvey Weinstein or someone.

“I thought I don’t know what this is. Then I was walking down the street one day and I thought I can’t smell a damn thing and you start to panic.”

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Around the same time, people were starting to acknowledge loss of smell is a symptom, he said.

Hugh’s loss of smell rapidly deteriorated, causing him to seek out desperate measures to try and get it back.

He quipped how he resorted to spraying his wife’s Chanel No. 5, a move that ultimately proved futile but he did “go blind”.

According to the NHS, loss of smell is one of the main warning signs of coronavirus.

In fact, research suggests it is a highly specific indicator of the viral infection.

According to a study published in PLOS Medicine and led by Professor Rachel Batterham (UCL Centre for Obesity Research, Division of Medicine and UCLH), participants with loss of smell were three times more likely to have SARS-CoV-2 (the coronavirus that causes COVID-19) antibodies compared with those with loss of taste.

For this study, researchers looked at a group of people in the community with loss of smell and/or taste, to see how many had antibodies.

Since a high proportion of this group had antibodies, this suggests smell and/or taste loss is highly predictive of a COVID-19 infection.

How to respond

According to the NHS, If you have any of the main symptoms of coronavirus:

• Get a test to check if you have coronavirus as soon as possible.
• You and anyone you live with should stay at home and not have visitors until you get your test result – only leave your home to have a test.

Anyone in your support bubble should also stay at home if you have been in close contact with them since your symptoms started or during the 48 hours before they started.

A support bubble is where someone who lives alone (or just with their children) can meet people from one other household.

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