Philanthropist Steve Morgan, who has given over £27m this year to charities impacted by Covid-19, has spoken out about having the virus himself.

The founder of the Steve Morgan Foundation has decided to share his experience of coronavirus because he says people can’t afford to be complacent now that a vaccine roll-out is imminent.

Morgan, 67, said: “We read a lot about people having the virus and being asymptomatic. I’m not here to scare people but that definitely wasn’t my experience.

“I lost 10lbs in weight, lost all my energy and was tired all the time. I was surprised at how badly it hit me.

“Having Covid definitely gives you a new perspective. As we approach Christmas people can’t afford to be complacent about catching it.”

The founder of housebuilder Redrow and his wife Sally were diagnosed in early November but have no idea how they caught the virus.

He said: “I’ll be honest, when I was diagnosed I thought ‘I’m a tough lad so let’s get on with it’. I consider myself to be a fit guy but Covid knocked me for six.

“Thankfully Sally had it milder than I did.  What I didn’t realise at the time was that all the research shows that statistically it hits men harder than women and that was our experience.

“I completely lost my appetite and couldn’t eat a thing. I lost 10lbs in weight. The big thing for me was the tiredness. I had no energy or motivation. I kept sleeping. My experience really brought Covid home to me.

“I hope by speaking out it will remind people that the best way of dealing with Covid-19 is not to catch it in the first place.”

Earlier this year Morgan launched the Covid-19 Emergency Fund and gave out £7m to support charities working with vulnerable people that have been affected by Covid.

The Steve Morgan Foundation partnered with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) in October to help hundreds of charities stay open and have allocated £20m to 125 charities in just 59 days.

Morgan said: “There is still much more work to be done. As well as the impact Covid is having on health it’s decimating business especially in the hospitality sector. A lot of small businesses won’t survive.”

• The photo of Steve Morgan that accompanies this story was taken the day after he was diagnosed with Covid-19.