ON a personal and professional basis I have much to be grateful for to Dr Adrian McGoldrick. As the inspiration and guiding force for the health columns in The Irish Field for more than two years, he has consistently gone above and beyond the call of duty, never once failing to assist when help or advice was needed.

His previous role as chief medical officer with the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board, a position now held by Dr Jennifer Pugh, saw him again push the boundaries when it came to caring for those he was charged with looking after, and he continues that support today. I know from many anecdotal accounts that Adrian was available night and day to help many professional within our industry, and many owe a huge debt of gratitude to him.

It was therefore quite a shock to learn this week that our industry super hero, a man who worked tirelessly along with so many frontline workers during this enduring pandemic, is now himself a victim of it. How cruel that is. Adrian is a man who does not enjoy any limelight, always deflecting attention from himself.

When I asked him to perhaps contribute to this column, expecting he might share his story, he instead offered guidelines for parents with children returning to school. Such is his selflessness, always thinking of others.

Nonetheless, his own story is also a lesson to us all, and especially at a time when frustration is building among people who are angry, anxious and even some who feel that they will not get Covid-19. Adrian himself did all in his power to protect himself and his family, and only knew of his condition when he tested positive for the virus, despite showing no symptoms.

However, Adrian went public about his own illness as a warning to others that we need to treat the continuing presence of Covid-19 in society seriously and to alert us to the possible long-term effects it may have. “This is a very strange virus”, he said this week, adding that “there’s not an organ in the body it saves”. Adrian himself was diagnosed with myocarditis after he was struck down with extreme fatigue.

A workaholic, whose working day was normally a staggering 16 hours, Adrian found himself literally unable to get out of bed for a month. His description of the fatigue he suffered is scary.

He was fortunate to have access to further tests and a cardiac MRI and so a diagnosis could be made. Now he is recovering and I know the entire world of racing in Ireland will join in sending Adrian good wishes.

If readers take one message from The Irish Field this week, it will be to listen to what Adrian said when he spoke to The Irish Times this week. “This fatigue element of post-Covid is certainly coming out as a major, long-term problem. Treat this virus with respect. Don’t think you can get the virus and that you will not suffer. This is going to be with us for years to come.”

IN the course of correspondence with Dr Adrian McGoldrick this week, he suggested that this column publish some advice for parents, a request we are happy to do. This is available in more detail on the hse.ie, hspc.ie and gov.ie websites.