'I had Covid': Drake reveals he suffered hair loss after battling virus

Drake has revealed he was diagnosed with Covid-19, after opening up about a side effect caused by the virus.

The Canadian rapper told a fan he had suffered hair loss, after a picture of the faded heart-shaped cut-out in his hairline was posted on social media.

The Hotline Bling star made the revelation in a comment posted on an Instagram fan account. The page, @drizzy_drake_vids, shared a before and after of the rapper's distinctive shaved hairline, showing fading over time.

"That heart is stressed," the caption stated, along with a cry-laughing emoji.

However, in a response posted on Tuesday, Drake – born Aubrey Drake Graham – urged fans not to "diss" his hairline.

"I had Covid, that [hair] grew in weird, I had to start again," the star, 34, wrote. "It’s coming back."

Drake had not previously revealed he had contracted Covid-19, and did not elaborate on when he was diagnosed with the virus.

The Grammy winner has, however, been sporting the shaved design since November last year, signalling his bout with Covid-19 took place in the months after.

The rapper is not the first famous face to open up about his experience with coronavirus, with Tom Hanks, singer Pink, Idris Elba and Prince Charles also revealing they contracted the virus in the past 18 months.

Drake's announcement comes after news his new album, Certified Lover Boy, has been delayed.

The album, the sixth studio release from the star, was originally scheduled to hit shelves in January.

However, the rapper told fans that month that it was postponed owing to an injury he had sustained.

"I was planning to release my album this month but between surgery and rehab my energy has been dedicated to recovery," he wrote on social media. "I'm blessed to be back on my feet and feeling great and focused on the album, but CLB won't be dropping in January."

A new release date is yet to be confirmed.