Martin helps shed some light on what it is like to have COVID-19, from the physical symptoms to the mental battle he had experienced knowing that he might have unwillingly put those around him in danger.

“When they found out and told me that I had tested positive, I saw my whole world crumbling – not because I had COVID-19 but because of the thought that I was living with my parents with these symptoms.”

“I thought about my friends, the people I got a beer with, the people I work with. Some of my closest friends at work have wives who are pregnant so all these worrying thoughts came to my mind.”

More worrisome than the virus itself is the anxiety that comes with the virus.

“I didn’t care about having COVID, it was the anxiety that was really worrying me.”

To the best of his knowledge, Martin never passed on the virus to anyone else and those around him did get tested – all of which came out negative.

“I never feared death to be honest. I had a cough towards the end of my cycle and some shortness of breath and don’t suffer from any medical conditions.”

Martin is the first person in Malta to be vocal about his experience with COVID-19, something he said he did in order to send a message of positivity.

“I’m glad my post gave many people courage and sent a note of positivity.”

As someone who experienced the coronavirus himself, Martin had a few words of advice for everyone out there.

“We’re making a lot of sacrifices, it’s not easy. For those who are still going out, I don’t need to comment about them, it a lack of respect for the frontliners – the real heroes.”

“Being disrespectful is like a criminal offence for me. I’m not saying don’t go for a walk but go on your own.”

And some more words of praise for our frontliners…

“It’s not only people who work in hospital, but others who work in a supermarket for example. They’re all heroes in these times, without them we wouldn’t survive. We have to show them respect by obeying the rules.”

“I even thank those foreign nationals who are unfortunately sometimes considered as second-class. Many of them are fighting this battle at the moment and have helped us a lot. We have to consider them as the real heroes, not me.”

“The real heroes are those working 24/7.”

Speaking from his experience, Martin believes that the grass will be greener on the other side.

“When life returns to normal I think we’ll be very happy. I’m hopeful the world will be a better place to live in. We rarely appreciate the small things in life.”

Tag someone that needs to watch the latest episode of #COVIDCalls.