Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson has recovered from a breakthrough infection of COVID-19, and is advising people to get vaccinated. The metal legend insists that it’s not “just a flu,” and could even result in erectile dysfunction for men.
Speaking with Sirius XM’s Eddie Trunk, Dickinson said it took him 10 days to get over the virus and an additional week to regain his sense of smell. The singer added that he was double vaccinated in May and urged others to do the same in order to avoid serious complications and hospitalization.
“It’s a bit more than a flu,” Dickinson said (as transcribed by Blabbermouth). “I would really caution against people who go, ‘Oh, it’s just a flu.’ No, it’s not. And I know a lot of people who were not vaccinated — not because they didn’t want to be, but they were too young to get it initially. You know, 22-, 23-, 24-year-old people who have not been able to get out of bed for six to eight weeks after it — they’ve been really sick, ongoing. They’re not in hospital, but their life is really screwed up.”
Related Video
He continued: “And there’s all kinds of… People are talking about long-term COVID causing diabetes, causing stuff with your brain, even — dare I say it — erectile dysfunction. There you go. They didn’t tell you about that when they said go and get vaccinated. There’s a really good reason to go [and get the vaccine] ’cause [COVID] makes your willy shrivel. Because the blood vessels with COVID can become really inflamed, so they get blocked up and your extremities don’t get enough blood, and, obviously, there’s one extremity which is dear to our heart as men, and if that doesn’t get enough blood, then, boy, you’re in for a world of pain — or not.”
Dickinson was in the midst of a solo spoken-word tour in early August when a member of his immediate household tested positive for COVID. He postponed the last two dates of the tour, and soon after, tested positive himself.
Dickinson’s battle with COVID-19 came in the weeks leading up to the release of Iron Maiden’s 17th studio album, Senjutsu, which arrived this past Friday. The band is currently set to return to the live stage in 2022. Though Dickinson previously told Rolling Stone he doesn’t believe fans should be forced to get the vaccine to attend shows, calling it a “personal choice,” he strongly advised it.
“Honestly, it’s my personal opinion — I’m not forcing anybody to go and do stuff — but I would advise anybody to just go ahead and get the vaccine,” Dickinson told Trunk.
