Queen Elizabeth revealed she was left tired and exhausted from a recent COVID-19 infection as she spoke with a former coronavirus patient whose brother and father died of the illness.
The 95-year-old monarch, who is triple vaccinated, tested positive for COVID-19 in February and experienced what Buckingham Palace described as “mild cold-like symptoms.” The palace said she would continue light duties at Windsor throughout the week.
The Queen made the remark during a virtual visit on Wednesday to mark the opening of the Royal London Hospital’s Queen Elizabeth Unit. She spoke with staff and patients who had used the facility during the pandemic, including Asef Hussain, a former COVID-19 patient whose brother and father died after they were infected in December 2020.
Hussain was on a ventilator for seven weeks. Since his release from the hospital, he has used a portable oxygen machine.
“It does leave one very tired and exhausted, doesn’t it? This horrible pandemic. It’s not a nice result,” the Queen told the former patient.
The new unit was built to meet the demand caused by the pandemic.
The Queen’s health has been called into question in recent months. She was hospitalized in October and has cut back on her duties, canceling some in-person events and delegating more responsibilities to Prince Charles.
Last week, the palace announced she would bow out of the Royal Maundy Service, an Easter week event at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle, and that Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, would attend in her place.