A COVID-19 patient in County Kerry has opened up about his battle this past week.

28-year-old Micheál Prendergast began showing symptoms shortly after returning home to Ireland from London last week.

Micheál spoke to Newstalk Breakfast:

“I was so ill, it is almost indescribable,” he said.

“It started with an extremely mild headache.

“I came home on Monday and I had absolutely no symptoms and then on Tuesday, the shortness of Breath, extremely high fever – it was just exacerbated every night.

“I had extreme rigors – that is your body’s reaction to infection – I was shaking and by Wednesday night, I was having convulsions in bed.”

He called the disease a "cruel, cruel illness" and urged young people in Ireland to take social distancing seriously to protect their loved ones.

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"Am I going to live? Have I lived a good life? Did I waste time?"@kierancuddihy spoke to Michael Prendergast from Kerry hospital about his treatment for #coronavirus https://t.co/p2crUW7HRQ pic.twitter.com/bTqz5TsTi5

— Newstalk Breakfast (@BreakfastNT) March 23, 2020