The Duke of Cambridge spoke with a paramedic from the National Ambulance Service at a reception in Dublin, and he took the opportunity to ask how the public is reacting amid the spread of COVID-19.
“I bet everyone’s like, ‘I’ve got coronavirus, I’m dying’, and you’re like, ‘No, you’ve just got a cough,’” joked William.
“It does seem quite dramatic about coronavirus at the moment. Is it being a little bit hyped up, do you think, in the media?” he asked.
Prince William was heard speaking about coronavirus to emergency workers during a visit to Dublin's Guinness Brewery with wife Kate.
"I bet everyone's like, 'I've got coronavirus, I'm dying,' and you're like, 'no, you've just got a cough'," he said. pic.twitter.com/bLN7ztXEIw
— NBC News World (@NBCNewsWorld) March 4, 2020
The Duke was also overheard apologising for “spreading coronavirus” by travelling with his wife Catherine.
“By the way, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are spreading coronavirus. Sorry, we’re keeping an eye on that, so do tell us if we need to stop.”
There are nine cases of COVID-19 on the island of Ireland, which includes three cases in Northern Ireland.
Meanwhile, the school which William and Kate’s children attend, Thomas’s Battersea, has asked some students to isolate themselves due to suspected exposure to the virus.
The Queen was also pictured wearing gloves at an investiture ceremony on Tuesday, prompting speculation about whether the monarch was taking precautions against COVID-19.
Queen's long gloves at palace ceremony 'sensible precaution' against coronavirus https://t.co/CUzwkH4b7A
— Sky News (@SkyNews) March 3, 2020
