Case Study 1

So today will be our last day in isolation as a household after all four of us testing positive for Covid. I am so proud of my babies, especially Oliver, they haven’t left the house for 3 weeks, not even for a walk. It’s certainly hasn’t been a walk in the park but they have done well, especially his understanding of why he can’t go anywhere or see family.

The reason I’m sharing this is for awareness really definitely not sympathy! I’ve always took Covid seriously but I never thought for a minute that after the feeling poorly part had finished I’d be suffering with effects. Sam and I both struggled with getting out of breath and loss of taste and smell and as a family we all tire so easily.  So just remember next time you want to take an unnecessary risk or say it’s just flu, it’s really not! It’s heart-breaking having to tell your children you can’t lift them up, or chase them up the stairs, or dance with them because it leaves you breathless and wiped out. Or how sad it is to bath your kids and not smell that sweet smell of their washed hair as they snuggle up in clean fresh pyjamas. Or when you first get it and you don’t want to pass it so you can’t kiss them, or simply blow their dinner to cool it down, the fear of who you might have past it too or still infect. It’s hard caring for kids when you are poorly yourself but this has been a new level for us. The worst bit is no one person can come and help you not matter how much they want too!

I do want to say thank you though to those people that have messaged daily to check on us, to ask if we need shopping and drop things off, offering to cook and most importantly listening. Without being able to message and off load I don’t think I’d have coped! Since Covid I really have learnt who our true friends are and are not and I’m thankful for that. You know who you are!

Stay safe people and look after yourselves, it really is nasty and you don’t want it!

 

Case Study 2

After isolating for around 16 weeks (I lost count after 12) and working from home from the 19^th March I ventured out to the office one day a week for what I felt was some kind of normality and too engage with some of the people I work with other than just virtually.

One Friday evening at the beginning of October I started to feel like I had flu symptoms, achy body, sneezing and that cold feeling, but no temperature. I took paracetamol and continued with my weekend, dropping off birthday presents to my nephews, having my sister and her family visit and on the Sunday my parents (who are over 70 and have underlining health issues) for their lunch. Still feeling under the weather but with no main symptom of Covid and the odd paracetamol I carried on with my work on the Monday morning.

9.30am I received a phone call from a colleague to say that Test and Trace have shown that I had been around someone who has over the weekend tested positive for Covid-19. Knowing I felt unwell I booked in for a Covid test by the online link and got in that same day at 12noon. I went along to the testing site at the Princess Royal Sports Arena, received my test through a small gap in my window, parked up, read the instructions, took the test, and posted it into the box as I drove out of the testing site.

I then went home and isolated until I received my results.

On the Tuesday at 4pm I got a text and an email saying that my test was positive and I needed to self-isolate for 10 days from my symptoms. This meant my whole household also had to isolate, my son from school and my partner and daughter from work – they were not happy but had no choice.

As the 14 days isolation for them went on my daughter and partner continued to feel well but my son started to get the same symptoms as me (non-Covid), we booked him a home test kit which was delivered and returned by post and three days later he also got a positive result. Isolation for the others they got extended. At the end of the isolation period my partner and daughter did tests at the request of their employer.  Their tests were negative and they returned to work.

The family I visited and saw that weekend also had to self-isolate for 14 days, some of them had tests and tested positive and others had no symptoms. Yes, I felt awful for them catching this virus from me and for the fact I felt like I had put them at risk (without even knowing), but we all followed the Government guidance and are all well now.

So please, if you are feeling unwell, get a test! Don’t delay! It is easy and straight forward and not one bit painful or scary!

 

Case Study 3

Even if it is just one symptom, get a test, don’t delay!

On the evening of Saturday, December 20, our son, Joseph, who is 2, had a high temperature. We gave him some Ibuprofen, which brightened him up and he went to bed. He woke on Sunday morning with a high temperature again so we felt that we should take him for a Coronavirus test.

We went to the Government’s website and booked a test for 9am at Skegness’ Richmond Drive Testing Centre.

We had no idea what to expect.

We read the instructions we’d been provided with when we made our booking and made sure we each had a mask; some anti-bac, some ID and the QR code we were sent when we made our appointment. My wife sat in the back on the way there as she was going to carry out the swab on Joseph.

When we arrived there was clear signage on where to go. We were greeted by a very friendly member of staff who directed us to check in (you do pretty much everything with your car window wound up for obvious reasons). We checked in by holding our QR code up to the car window so it could be scanned. As you drive into the Test Centre you travel around a slalom of cones and are stopped at various points to be given instructions before being posted your testing kit through a tiny gap in the window. You are then directed to a parking bay where you carry out your test. We were told that if we had a problem whilst carrying out the test we should put our hazard lights on and the staff would come to us.

Before carrying out the test we had to read the instructions which were with the test kit. It probably took about five minutes but all was very straight forward. My wife then inserted the swab so it rubbed against Joseph’s tonsils and then right up his nose. Let’s not pretend it’s the most comfortable feeling in the world as I’m sure it isn’t, but we needed to do it!

Once completed, we placed the swab into a test tube that has liquid in it and sealed it. As we left our QR code was scanned again and we dropped our testing kit into a box at the exit. We were then told our results would be with us within 24 to 72 hours.

Whilst I was a little apprehensive at taking a 2 year old for a test, the experience was made as good as it could be by the great team at the site, and the instructions were really clear.

If you have symptoms, please don’t delay, book your test. There’s nothing to fear.