Covid-19: New Northampton councillor 'was hospital's first virus patient'

Ray Connolly spent three days in isolation at Northampton Hospital before being allowed to return home

A newly-elected councillor who was "the first person diagnosed with Covid" at a town's hospital said he had felt scared for nurses treating him.

Ray Connolly tested positive for coronavirus at Northampton Hospital in early March 2020.

The Conservative, elected to West Northamptonshire Council on Friday, said his wife had been worried as "people were dying in Spain and Italy".

Mr Connolly said: "No-one knew what was going on as it was so new."

The 54-year-old, one of three councillors elected to the Delapre & Rushmere ward of the council, said politics had been "the furthest thing from my mind" when he was in hospital.

He said, looking back, he had all the symptoms of Covid-19 but at the time people were learning about the virus.

Ray Connolly was elected to serve on the Delapre & Rushmere ward of West Northamptonshire Council

"I had been eating apple and cinnamon porridge at work and I said 'they have missed the apple out of this,'" he said.

"My taste was completely gone. I was fatigued. I would walk upstairs and it was like I had just done a sprint."

Mr Connolly said he also had a high temperature and was sweating, "but my teeth were chattering".

After going to hospital and being diagnosed, he was put in isolation for three days.

"I was the first person in Northampton Hospital to be diagnosed with Covid," he said.

"I remember waking up hearing a snoring noise, but it was actually my lungs.

"My wife wasn't allowed in. She was panicking as people were dying in Spain and Italy.

"I was more worried for the nurses. I didn't want to give it to them."

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After returning home, he isolated in his bedroom for another 10 days.

"It took a couple of months to get better," he said.

"I did think 'this is horrendous'."

Now fully recovered, Mr Connolly stood for election as "I was always moaning and thought 'why not do something about it?'.

"It was the furthest thing from my mind when I was in hospital. I was more worried about not being able to play golf."