Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli announced Tuesday he survived the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), describing the experience as “a nightmare.”
On April 12, the 61-year-old sang alone in Milan’s Duomo to encourage everyone affected by the coronavirus pandemic, which already killed more than 350,000 people.
The performance was a month after he tested positive for the respiratory disease.
“It was a tragedy, my whole family was contaminated,” Bocelli told journalists at a hospital in Pisa where he and his wife would donate their plasma for COVID-19 research.
Some studies say the anti-bodies from the plasma of a COVID-19 survivor helps patients who are in critical condition.
“We all had a fever — though thankfully not high ones — with sneezing and coughing,” Bocelli said.
“I had to cancel many concerts… It was like living a nightmare because I felt like I was no longer in control of things. I was hoping to wake up at any moment,” he said.
Andrea Bocelli said he “thanks God” he was not a politician responsible for making decisions but felt there was “too much scaremongering” about COVID-19 in Italy.
Bocelli is an Italian singer, songwriter, and record producer. He was diagnosed with congenital glaucoma at 5 months old, and became completely blind at age 12, following a football accident.
Also read: Madonna reveals she had COVID-19
DA names James Reid as PH’s food security ambassador
Department of Agriculture (DA) named actor and singer James Reid as Philippines’ food security ambassador, Tuesday.
The announcement was made at the DA’s launching of the Farmers and Fisherfolk’s Month, which was attended by Filipino-Australian Kapamilya artist.
DA officials and Reid also launched the agriculture department’s Plant, Plant, Plant program on Tuesday.
As a food security ambassador, James Reid is responsible for informing the public “on ensuring sustained food security, food accessibility, and affordability,” DA said.
The Pinoy Big Brother winner would also “encourage the youth and other advocates on the important roles of farmers and fishers, their hard work, and their valuable contributions to the country.”
“LETS GROOOW! Thank you to the Department of Agriculture and Secretary Dar for trusting me with the role of Ambassador of Food Security. Thanks for the gift. Can’t wait to show everyone what we’ve been working on during quarantine! #plantplantplant,” Reid said in an Instagram post.
DA Secretary William Dar stressed the importance of agriculture to “reduce poverty” amid the COVID-19 crisis.
“We believe that economic growth in agriculture is more effective at reducing poverty and food insecurity than growth in other sectors. Investments in agriculture can help revive food production and create jobs, following a crisis, and enable rural communities to recover,” Dar said, as quoted in the statement.