Egyptian actress Laila Taher recovers from Covid-19: ‘I am feeling better’

Actress Laila Taher has recovered from Covid-19.

Her condition was revealed at the weekend by talk show personality Mahmoud Saad.

On Saturday’s episode of Bab Al Khalk, broadcast on Egypt’s Al Nahar television station, Saad revealed Taher, 79, cancelled a recent appearance on the show after falling ill with Covid-19.

"We had an appointment with the great artist Laila Taher and when I spoke to her she said 'I got corona,’" Saad said, urging viewers to adhere to safety measures.

"This shows that this journey is not easy. While a lot of people are recovering from this, some remain unwell."

While Saad didn’t say when Taher was diagnosed, he mentioned the worst stages were over and she is on the mend. "I mention artists like Taher, people who we love and admire and who went through difficult stages... to show we need to look after ourselves in the best way we can.”

Laila Taher on her experiences with Covid-19

After the programme was shown, Taher’s name was trending on the Egyptian Twittersphere and it wasn't long before the star publicly declared she was fine.

In an interview on Saturday, on Egyptian TV show Al Tasse’ah, she said she tested positive with the virus a month ago and was treated in Cairo’s Sheikh Zayed Hospital.

"I am feeling better and I experienced this about a month ago. I went to the hospital immediately and then I stayed home [in quarantine] for 10 days and I realised the situation wasn't getting better so I transferred back to the hospital,” she said.

"I sincerely just want to thank those who helped me in the treatment and getting me to hospital.

“I want to thank all the doctors and nurses at the Sheikh Zayed Hospital for not only their medical and humane treatment for all their patients.

“Without them, I wouldn’t have recovered so quickly.”

The Egyptian entertainment industry has lost a number of revered film and TV stars to the virus.

In March, Sawsan Rabie died aged 59 after being hospitalised with Covid-19 two weeks prior.

In February, Youssef Shaaban also died, aged 89, in intensive care after complications caused by the virus.

Also succumbing to Covid-19 was Ragaa Al Geddawy in July last year, aged 81.

Who is Laila Taher?

Born Shrewit Mustafa Fahmy, Taher began her career as a TV presenter for variety shows before entering the film industry with roles in drama Abu Hadid (1958) alongside Farid Shawqi and the following year’s Qablani fi alzalam with Hind Rostom.

Tahir went on to gain fame with memorable performances in films Al-Qahira Fi Elleil (1963) and Zaman Ya Hob (1973), and TV series Al Qada' Fi Ell-Islam, 1990's Eayilat al'ustadh shalash and 1998's La'bet Al Haya.

Taher's last major role was in 2013's Qisas Nisa’ Fi Ell Quran, a series exploring the lives of powerful women portrayed in the Quran, according to El Cinema.

The same year, Algeria's Oran International Arabic Film Festival honoured Taher and screened a number of her key works.

Her last public appearance was in February at the Cairo Opera House, which hosted a retrospective of her work.