Rita Wilson had “chills like [she] never had before” during coronavirus battle, as she says she also experienced “extreme side effects” after being given a drug usually used to treat malaria.

The 63-year-old actress and her husband Tom Hanks were both diagnosed with the respiratory virus, also known as COVID-19, whilst in Australia last month, and Rita has now opened up on what it was like to live with the potentially fatal illness.

She said: “I was very tired. I felt extremely achy. Uncomfortable, didn’t want to be touched. And then the fever started. Chills like I’ve never had before. Looking back, I also realized that I was losing my sense of taste and smell, which I didn’t realize at the time.”

Rita’s fever continued to worsen, and doctors chose to give her chloroquine, which is an immunosuppressive drug usually used to treat malaria.

And whilst Rita’s fever did go down after taking the drug, she suffered from “extreme side effects”, including nausea and vertigo, which is the sensation of spinning while stationary.

She added: “I know people have been taking this drug, but I can only tell you that I don’t know if the drug worked or it was just time for the fever to break. My fever did break, but the chloroquine had such extreme side affects. I was completely nauseous and I had vertigo. I could not walk and my muscles felt very weak. I think people have to be very considerate about that drug. We don’t know if it’s helpful in this case.”