Lena Dunham has opened up about her harrowing experience with Covid-19, revealing how she was unable to distinguish between symptoms for the virus and those for her existing illnesses.

The actor and writer suffers from Ehler-Danlos Syndrome, which is a group of rare inherited conditions that affect connective tissue, with symptoms including an increased range of joint movement and fragile skin that breaks or bruises easily.

On Friday, Dunham shared an Instagram post of herself wearing a mask alongside several notes she had written to explain her experience with coronavirus, which she contracte din mid-March.

“Suddenly my body simply... revolted,” she wrote.

“The nerves in my feet burned and muscles wouldn’t seem to do their job. My hands were numb. I couldn’t tolerate loud noises.

“I couldn’t sleep but I couldn’t wake up. I lost my sense of taste and smell. A hacking cough, like a metronome keeping time. Inability to breathe after simple tasks like getting a glass of water. Random red rashes.”

Dunham explained she also felt a “pounding headache” between her eyes.

“This went on for 21 days,” she continued before comparing the experience to a “rave gone wrong”.

The 34-year-old explained that she had a doctor on hand who gave her regular advice.

After a month of self-isolating, Dunham said she tested negative for Covid-19. But the symptoms returned.

“I had swollen hands and feet, an unceasing migraine and fatigue that limited my every move,” she wrote.

“Even as a chronically ill person, I had never felt this way.”

Dunham explained she had been hesitant to speak out about her experience and did not want to “unnecessarily add my voice to a noisy landscape on such a challenging topic”.

The actor finished her post by describing the pandemic as ”the biggest deal in our country and in the world right now”.

She urged fans to “take the appropriate measures to protect yourself and your neighbours”.

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