Lane Merrifield, an entrepreneur and cast member on CBC's Dragon's Den, is recovering in Kelowna, B.C., after catching COVID-19 on a snowboarding trip in the Rocky Mountains.
Merrifield says he caught the virus from another person on the trip who had travelled overseas to Angola, shortly before joining dozens of people for a trip in Golden, B.C.
"I was pretty frustrated and pretty angry," he told Daybreak South host Chris Walker.
"Selfishness has repercussions, and I think this gentleman decided to ignore all warnings, ignore all requests and just do what he wanted to do."
According to Merrifield, the individual's symptoms had been getting worse and worse, to the point that he couldn't go out skiing. It wasn't until one of his children notified staff at the lodge that he was exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 that anyone knew about his travels.
"He was adamant that either it's no big deal or maybe it couldn't happen to him or people are making much ado about nothing," Merrifield said.
The person was sent home by helicopter, and an email was sent to patrons saying that a person at the lodge had tested positive for the virus and for everyone to immediately quarantine themselves.
Three days later, Merrifield started experiencing symptoms: fever, body aches, shortness of breath, fatigue and loss of taste and smell.
Seven others from the trip also tested positive for COVID-19.
Fortunately, Merrifield did not have to be hospitalized, and after three weeks, he's starting to feel better.
"It's taking a while for my body to kind of come back from this one, unlike a cold or typical flu," he said.
Merrifield urges people to heed warnings from health officials regarding COVID-19 and staying home.
"Now's the time to be as selfless as we possibly can be and help each other out."