It began with a cold sweat at three in the morning; too little to call a fever, but enough to wake me. Then, long after the morning alarm had rung, I was plagued by a fatigue, which carried through into the afternoon. By the evening, I noticed a slight cough and sore throat. By dinner, I was dizzy, and by bedtime, I’d diagnosed myself with coronavirus and called my loved ones.
"I noticed a slight cough… By dinner, I’d diagnosed myself with coronavirus and called my loved ones.
With hindsight it’s quite clear I wasn’t suffering from a virus, nor even a cold. Instead, I had an acute case of tiredness paired with chronic cyberchondria – a term coined by medical professionals for people who compulsively search the internet for information about (usually imagined) symptoms of illness.
There are more cyberchondriacs than you’d think. A recent survey of 1,511 Australians revealed that almost three-quarters had consulted Dr Google at least once in their lives, while half admitted to weekly consultations.