Lorraine Kelly has opened up about her battle with coronavirus, revealing the nasty side effects and symptoms she experienced last week that forced her to take time off work. In her HELLO! column of the week, the ITV presenter also revealed what kept her going - and it sounds like the best cure!
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WELL, Covid finally got me. I thought I had escaped its clutches but I was recently laid low with blinding headaches, a bad cough and lots of aches and pains.
It was a nasty one and I had to take a week off work which was a real shock to the system, but it would have been a whole lot worse if I hadn't had both vaccines and the booster jab. I'm better now but still feeling a bit washed out and I get tired easily.
WATCH: Lorraine Kelly reveals how Angus and Ruby helped her through COVID
While I was off and laid low, the one thing that really cheered me up was cuddles from my wee dog Angus and Rosie's adorable mini sausage puppy Ruby.
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Somehow they knew I needed a bit of extra TLC and time and time again dogs just instinctively seem to know how they can help us. Obviously, they get us out of the house for some much-needed exercise which helps physically and mentally, but they also stop us feeling lonely and light up our lives.
Lorraine's pet dog Angus gave her some extra TLC
I did some interesting research with insurance company MORE THAN and the fantastic charity Dogs For Good for their "Paws for a Smile Campaign" which found that people with dogs were much less likely to be lonely, and having a pet puppy or dog increased the chance to connect with people socially by more than 69 per cent.
READ: Lorraine Kelly shares secret to her weight loss
She also enjoyed cuddles from Ruby
Where it comes to people with disabilities, having a dog makes them much more independent as well as having a positive impact on their mental health. In fact 73 per cent said they would be lost without their dog.
I certainly agree. I wouldn't have got through the pandemic without Angus and Ruby. Our lovely walks and just watching them play with each other lifts my heart, and there's nothing like that enthusiastic welcome from them when I get back from work. More information from dogsforgood.com.
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