Tool’s Maynard James Keenan has revealed that he had the coronavirus earlier this year and is still suffering from lung damage because of it.

Some people who contract the virus have complained of suffering from symptoms and after effects long after they have stopped testing positive for COVID-19.

Keenan said in a new interview that he contracted the virus in February and that he is “still dealing with the residual effects”. “It was ugly,” he told Arizona Republic. “I survived it, but it wasn’t pretty. So I definitely had to deal with that.”

He went on to explain that he hadn’t previously shared his diagnosis because he “didn’t want to run around screaming it”. “But it’s real,” he warned. “And there’s after effects. it was ugly. I survived it, but it wasn’t pretty. So I definitely had to deal with that.”

When asked if he was feeling alright now, he replied: “Well, no. I still have the cough. Every other day, I have these coughing fits because my lungs are still damaged at the tips. And I just got over the inflammation that was going on with my wrist and hands.

“I had an autoimmune attack on my system in the form of, like, a rheumatoid arthritis. Basically, from what I understand, it attacks weird spots and it’s random. So that’s what I got. That was my prize.”

Keenan added that he was “close” to being back at full health and told fans to “just look out for your neighbour – that’s all. Just be safe. Don’t be dumb.”

In March, it was revealed that a man with coronavirus had attended one of Tool’s New Zealand shows in late February. The fan had returned from a holiday in northern Italy just before the concert.

Meanwhile, Keenan will release a new album with his side project Puscifer this month. ‘Existential Reckoning’ is the band’s fourth album and follows their 2015 LP ‘Money Shot’.