A WOMAN who fell ill after spending 75 minutes fitting kilts for delegates at a Nike conference hit by Scotland's earliest known coronavirus outbreak has spoken publicly for the first time.

Gillian Russell raised concerns she was left to carry on life as normal, including going on holiday to Portugal. 

Her comments come on the eve of the Scottish Government's new test and protect strategy to fight Covid-19.

Ms Russell, who worked at Romanes & Paterson on Princes Street in Edinburgh, fell ill with flu-like symptoms shortly after fitting the kilts.

More than 70 Nike employees attended the event at the city's Hilton Carlton Hotel on February 26 and 27.

At least 25 people were infected, including eight who were resident in Scotland. 

The Scottish Government has said contact tracing was carried out following the outbreak.

However four companies with workers who came into close contact with delegates have reported they were not contacted.

It has also been reported that north-east England’s ‘patient zero’ attended the Edinburgh conference and the infection was then passed to a second person in Newcastle at a child’s birthday party.

Ms Russell told the Edinburgh Evening News: "Why was I never informed that I had been put at risk and potentially had the virus? 

"This was all happening whilst I was living my life as normal, mixing with family and friends, attending events and going on holiday abroad? Why?”

She added: “Why did nobody contact me, or my colleagues, as part of tracking and tracing?"

She said: “Imagine if you were put in that situation? Imagine if it was one of your family that had been put in that position? How would you feel?”

Ian Murray, Labour MP for Edinburgh South, said: “I would like to thank Gillian for speaking out and talking about the unfair situation she has been put in.

“Her personal story exposes why the SNP Government made a fundamental error by deciding to cover-up this outbreak.

“Not only was Gillian ill after fitting delegates for kilts with no idea why, she was at risk of passing this on to relatives and the people she was in contact with.

“She deserves answers from Nicola Sturgeon. Why did you cover-up this outbreak, why did you keep people like Gillian in the dark, and why did your government not seek the help of the public so that people could be contact traced?

“This matter because as the government belatedly introduces its test, trace, isolate strategy, there are now questions about whether people can have faith in it."

Nicola Sturgeon previously denied mistakes were made following the Nike conference outbreak and has categorically rejected any claims of a cover-up.