Newly elected Cork East TD campaigned despite suffering illness

A first-time TD says that he had thought his election campaign might be over after a period of illness.

Liam Quaide, newly elected Social Democrats TD for Cork East, explained: “I got unwell in the first week of October. It felt like a virus that would pass quickly, but I just couldn’t shake it. I was completely out of commission for three weeks, with high temperatures, a very bad cough, and general malaise.

“In late October I was referred by SouthDoc to the emergency department in CUH because my oxygen levels dropped below normal. I felt pretty wretched at that stage and was seriously considering that the campaign may be over.”

Symptoms

He was prescribed two antibiotics, but the symptoms remained entrenched, and he was referred to the Mater clinic in Mahon the following week, where the consultant advised that he had an atypical respiratory tract infection and that the only treatment was time.

“I went back on the campaign trail but had a post-viral syndrome of shortness of breath, a dry cough, and low energy levels for several more weeks,” he said.

“I found canvassing very difficult, particularly on hilly streets in Cobh. Speaking for any length brought on a persistent cough.

“It was only really in the last week of the campaign that I felt fully recovered,” he said, adding that losing so much vital campaigning time fed into his premature call online last Saturday night that he was not in contention for the final seat, which later proved to be incorrect.

Mr Quaide concluded: “In one way, going through the challenge of that illness made the success on Sunday all the more remarkable and satisfying. It was against the odds in several respects.”