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A YOUNG cystic fibrosis patient who contracted Covid-19 in hospital while being treated for a severe lung infection last night told of her terror.

Samantha Cruise, 29, was infected after being admitted to Beaumont Hospital, in Dublin, three weeks ago for ongoing issues related to CF.

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5 Samantha Cruise contracted coronavirus while in Beaumont for issues with CF

5 The Dubliner has called on people to follow the restrictions for her sake

She said: “I am frightened. I am terrified. It is the fear of the unknown. I do not know what is going to happen.”

The Lucan, Co Dublin woman was swabbed for coronavirus when she was first admitted to the hospital last month — and her test came back negative.

However, Samantha was swabbed again on Monday after her health deteriorated and the following day the results for the deadly virus came back positive.

Speaking from her hospital bed last night, she called on people to follow the restrictions for her sake, saying: “We are people too, please stay indoors. Please realise that this is real, please realise how vulnerable we are.”

FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN

She added: “I can’t stress enough how frightening it is for people with underlying conditions and older people.

“You know this could be avoided if people just stayed at home and stuck to the rules and don’t feel like you have to go out and mix with people.

“I saw something on Facebook recently. It said, ‘I’d rather miss my friends and family for a ­couple of weeks than to never see them again’.

“That is the reality of it. I am into the unknown. I am in a room on my own on a ward with people who have Covid-19. I got the virus in here. People don’t realise it spreads like wildfire. Stay in, please, it saves lives.”

Figures this week revealed that Beaumont Hospital is treating 133 Coronavirus patients — the ­highest number at any hospital.

Elsewhere in the capital, St James’ Hospital has 95 cases of the virus and the Mater Hospital is dealing with 87.

STICK TO MEASURES

Samantha — who has had no visitors since she was admitted to hospital — said she misses her family and partner “terribly”.

She added: “It is fine though, you have to be away from ­everyone when you are sick and that is very serious.

“But I am really angry with people who are not 100 per cent compliant.

It’s like, if it hasn’t happened to you then it doesn’t matter. People are getting sick from other people’s reckless behaviour.

“I went into hospital three weeks ago with a lung infection, which is part of my CF. I came in and they swabbed me and I didn’t have coronavirus.

“I then started to improve, then I got worse again. On Monday they swabbed me again and on Tuesday I found out I had the virus.

“I definitely picked it up in the hospital. I haven’t left my room, so it shows you that this virus travels fast, it doesn’t matter where you are.

“I was then moved onto a ­Covid-19 ward. I am in a room on my own but I am on a ward with coronavirus patients, there is a lot here with it.”

COVID BATTLE

Samantha said she feels ­“miserable” as her temperature remains high but thankfully she has not been placed in intensive care so far.

She added: “I am I a lot of pain, my temperature is around 40 to 42°C, I am miserable.

“My doctor said if I get any worse, I would have to go to ICU. In the last few years, my liver has become really bad.

“I have liver disease, I have growths on my liver and my spleen is enlarged because of it. With my liver, I retain a lot of fluid. At the minute, my face is swollen and so is my stomach.

“I am in physical pain, the pain is quite bad in my lungs. I am hoping they will give me something for the pain, I can’t take paracetamol because of my liver.

“Obviously you are born with cystic fibrosis, so I know pain well and I suppose with that, I don’t really complain much. I just get through it.

“But I feel so very sick, my lungs are very sore. In the last few years, I have had a difficult time with my health.

“I was very sick in 2016, I became critically unwell. They did not know if I would come of it. But I got through it. I just really miss my mam and dad and my sisters and brother.

“I miss my boyfriend but it’s better to stay away now. It’s only when people have a loved one who gets it that they realise what it’s like. It has taken ­people to get so sick to cop on.

“It is not just people that are old and underlying, we are ­people as well. We are in ­relationships, we have families.

“My boyfriend is worried sick, he can’t come in and be reassured, he can only go by what I am saying.

“I just want people to cop on. I am reading about people going away down the country on ­holidays, it’s is just insane. You are affecting others by doing that, please grow up.”

LOOK OUT FOR EACH OTHER

Samantha has praised the ­Government and Gardai for announcing tighter restrictions on those who planned to travel to their holiday homes for Easter.

She said: “I think it’s brilliant that those decisions were made and I support them fully.

“I feel people think that they are going down to holiday homes to get away from it all, but they are not.

“They will mix with other people, it’s no different to spending time with people up here than spending time down here. You are putting people at risk.

“I really wish people would understand that this isn’t just a flu, it’s a serious thing, people are dying left right and centre, there are people in this hospital dying and all over the world.

5 Samantha was first admitted to hospital last month Credit: Crispin Rodwell - The Sun Dublin

5 Samantha is missing her family and boyfriend while she battles coronavirus

“I am in an OK position as long as I don’t get any worse, but my temperature is still remains high and I am in a lot of pain. People who reared their families, good people are being struck down with this virus.

“I think people need to take a good hard look at themselves and protect the people that reared our generation. We need to look out for each other, be safe and be kind.

“Watch rubbish TV, put up with it and when all this is done, you can go to your holiday home.

“When people are dying in this pandemic it is not the time to be chasing the sunshine and trying to get away to your holiday home.”

Samantha’s boyfriend, Mark Howard, praised her on Facebook last night describing his love as a ­“warrior”.

He said: “I’m proud of you and we’ll get you through this myself and your family and friends are all here for you we all care and love you so much now let’s look to the future.”

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Samantha is speaking out just as CF charities launched their publicity campaigns highlighting the risk the pandemic poses to their patients.

Ireland has the highest ­incidence of cystic fibrosis in the world — with around 1 in 19 ­people carrying one copy of the altered gene that causes the ­disease in the lungs and digestive system.

On Friday, Cystic Fibrosis ­Ireland moved their 65 Roses Day campaign online and have asked the public to support them at 65Rosesday.ie.