The Self Isolation Diaries

Note: I cannot directly talk about the COVID-19 situation specific to my work, if that is what you want then you need to speak to the Communications team at BHRUT. If anything, I know only what’s in the press anyway because I’ve been pretty much solidly only in the company of cats for a week.

This is probably the longest I have thought about writing a blog post. The longest I have put off writing a blog post. The quietest I have unintentionally been on social media. From Monday after work until now I have been in self isolation. This is Day 6.

I have about a thousand more photos of my cats on my camera roll than I had before

On Monday I developed a cough, which progressed to full flu like symptoms overnight into Tuesday. I did exactly as advised and called 111 who said because of the fact I hadn’t travelled abroad or been in contact with a confirmed case I had no need to be tested but to contact my GP. My GP told me to stay at home unless my condition worsened.

Seriously so many opportunities for adorable photos of them both

By thursday all advice was to self isolate for seven days if showing symptoms. I had growing pressure from people around me to get tested, but there simply was no facility or means of doing so available. Any data of number of cases now, I believe, will be skewed because truth is I could have had a regular seasonal flu or I could have had COVID-19 but I doubt I’ll ever know. Unless, as I slightly joke, I recover from this only to get COVID-19 later on. Which could happen so I’ll be leaving self isolation with no sense of immunity at all.

So many, I’m not even sorry

I was in bed for four days fairly solidly and in that time I watched a lot of documentaries, listened to a lot of podcasts and also watched the entirety of The Great Pottery Throw Down which has now made me want to take pottery classes. If you find yourself in isolation, thankfully the internet is incredible who knew! Yet also, I found myself growingly reliant on virtual interactions and then amazingly paranoid about said interactions. I had to force myself off of social media for long breaks or I would have spent long periods of time worrying about what people were saying to me. Or, seemingly even worse, not saying to me.

Watched Season 1 of Community and classified my Haribo by features on Thursday. What a productive day.

I’m afraid I don’t have any advice for the pandemic. Keep washing your hands, keep an eye on yourself and those around you. Also be aware of what you are reading, and the impact this may have on your mental state. Before this all happened, I had plans to attend a children’s birthday party and then to see a friend in the evening. Obviously I won’t be attending the party but I will still be seeing my friend through the wonders of FaceTime. Keeping my microbes, whatever variety they are, to myself. We’ve got this.

MG x