Linda Lusardi reveals she’s losing her hair and husband Sam is having heart palpitations months after coronavirus ordeal

LINDA Lusardi was 'at death's door' when she was struck down with coronavirus earlier this year.

But despite making a miracle recovery from the illness, she is still feeling its devastating impact five months on.

Speaking exclusively to The Sun, the former glamour model, 61, reveals she and husband Sam, 51, who was hospitalised with Covid-19 at the same time, are suffering from a number of nasty side effects.

She says: "Sam’s had heart palpitations quite badly, and he’s under a cardiologist at the moment. They can't see anything specifically wrong.

"I’ve had some hair loss which has been a bit distressing. I still haven't got the energy I had before although I’m getting there. Every week's a bit better."

Linda required oxgyen and was attached to a drip during her terrifying 10-day hospital stay.

There were times she "prayed she wouldn't wake up" as she suffered from severe chest pain, fever and vomiting.

While those dark moments are far behind the couple, the unknown long-term impacts of the disease remain a cause for concern.

"You’ll have to see if I drop down with a heart attack in a few years," jokes Linda.

"It’s quite frightening when they're talking about the long-term effects and how it can damage your kidneys and your liver and so on. But I'm just glad I'm here."

It's not just physical impacts that have cast a shadow over the family's lives.

Mentally, the trauma from the near-death experience looms large.

Even Linda's children Lucy, 24, and Jack, 21, have struggled after being confronted by their mum's brush with death.

She says: "The mental trauma of it has touched us all even though it was me who was sick. My children had to deal with the fact they might lose both of us and then me, and the mental effect it’s had on us has been very traumatic really.

"I think we’re still suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder a little bit."

The family has opted against undergoing counselling for the time being even though the NHS provides a service should they need it.

Instead they are helping each other through the tough times.

"You all have moments where we have a bit of a breakdown about it all," says Linda. We just support each other through it. At the moment we’ve not all had it on the same day so we’re all right."

It is currently uncertain if having the disease gives immunity against contracting it for a second time, something that fills Linda with fear.

Since being released from hospital, she has rarely ventured outside of her home.

"I don’t feel like I’ve got a guard against it at all," she says. "They really don’t know anything, how long your antibodies last, if you’ve got enough to stop you getting it again.

"I don’t feel safe at all. I hardly go out. I go to the supermarket and I see my mum who’s round the corner, who’s 87."

The NHS is currently asking people who have coronavirus antibodies to donate plasma to aid valuable research into the condition.

Even though she was willing to help the cause, Linda was told she didn't fit the criteria.

"I thought it was my age but it wasn't. My body weight and height wasn't what they call big enough."