On Tuesday I received an NHS test and trace message. It read:
Simon, you have been identified as a contact of someone who has recently tested positive for Covid-19. You must now stay at home and self-isolate for 10 days from the date of your last contact with them.
The self-isolation period ends on Monday (January 11). Until then I’m not allowed - by law - to leave the house other than to ‘exercise’ in our back garden. (I think I’ll give that a miss.)
Today is the sixth day since contact took place and so far I don’t have any obvious symptoms.
Apparently they can appear up to 14 days after contact but normally it’s within four or five days, hence the Government has reduced the isolation period to ten days.
Fingers crossed, then, I won’t actually develop anything because the more I hear and read the more unpleasant it sounds.
Yesterday, for example, I read a rather distressing article – Inside the Covid ward (UnHerd) – that should be read by anyone who doubts the potential impact of Covid, especially if you’re my age (61) or older.
Furthermore, we have just been notified that the intensive care unit (ICU) at our local hospital is now at maximum capacity for Covid patients and intensive care patients (non-Covid) are now being moved to other hospitals in the south of England.
In addition, the larger (overflow) hospital in Cambridge is no longer accepting patients from the local hospital because it is currently acting as a 'specialist centre for the most critical Covid patients from London hospitals.'
Sure, there are many people who will contract Covid without ending up in intensive care struggling to breathe - and wishing they were dead - but it has convinced me that for the next few months it might be sensible to err even more on the side of caution.
That said, I know how lucky I am. I may be self-isolating but in the absence of any symptoms I can still work, read, watch the TV and listen to the radio.
Waitrose and Tesco deliveries are scheduled for tomorrow and Saturday so I won’t starve.
For villagers who are self-isolating, the local pub is also providing home deliveries including Sunday roasts.
There’s plenty of booze left over from Christmas, so no complaints there either.
It’s easy, in fact, to laugh it off, but a niggling thought remains. What if I do get Covid?
Stay safe and watch this space!!