Just yesterday I posted a blog stating that The Man had tested positive for covid, and that TinyHuman and I had fled to my parents house to avoid getting it.
I continued to test at breakfast, lunch and dinner- each time showing a negative result. After I posted the previous blog, TinyHuman became very snotty and irritable, he began to cough and was impossible to settle. So I decided to again test him, which is no easy feat I must add. At first it appeared to be negative and I felt a huge wave of relief rush over me… but then slowly yet surely, the second line appeared.
Sh*t. Our beautiful little 13 week old baby has covid.
What do you do when a baby gets covid?
First thing I did? Panic.
TinyHuman is so little and young, this virus has proved deadly to people with a higher immune system than what he has. It’s a terrifying moment.
So I called 119 and the Health Visitor numbers but I went around and around in circles with stupid automated messages. So I called 111 to find out what I was supposed to do.
I told them what I could see, how he was presenting, that he had tested positive. I was put on hold for what felt like an age. Then she came back…
“Hello, Miss Lynch, are you there? We’re going to send an ambulance for your son”
Sh*t.
You call medical professionals because you’re concerned and you’re begging them to put your mind at ease, not because you want to hear that they’re worried about your son and so they’re sending an ambulance to check him over.
The wait for the ambulance to arrive is the worst thing on the planet, you know they’ll be there as soon as they can. It feels like they’re taking forever, boy will be in school before they arrive! They came quickly, and two lovely paramedics came in.
Of course, true to form, my little charmer sees them and instantly stops crying- he gives them the most beautiful smile. The woman is completely besotted and he spends the entire time smiling and laughing, playing with her. They took his vitals and he was perfect. They spoke to the pediatrician and with no further concerns they leave us.
We’ve got to go!
The relief I felt after the paramedics left was quickly replaced with an urgency to leave.
We took covid into our family’s home!
I wore a mask the entire time that we were in my parent’s home through fear that I was carrying it even though I hadn’t tested positive yet– but he couldn’t wear one.
TinyHuman had a quick nap, while I frantically ran around the house trying not to touch anything while gathering our belongings and anti bacterial spraying and wiping every thing I came into contact with.
We threw everything in the car, said our distanced goodbye and made a hasty exit.
The Man was super excited to see us when we got home, it was a mutual feeling. We had not been looking forward to spending at least five days apart, but equally we did not want TinyHuman to catch it. Now that it was too late for that, we were happy to be back in our own home. We love my parent’s and staying with them, but let’s be honest… when you don’t feel well there is nothing better than your own bed!
Covid got me!
At 04:30 yesterday morning, long before TinyHuman tested positive he woke up for a bottle. I woke up to feed him and my throat felt super scratchy, I panicked and took a test- negative. Throughout the day I took multiple more, each one showing up negative. Upon our return home I was feeling worse and worse.
This morning The Man got up with TinyHuman and I remained in bed. When I woke up I felt absolutely awful: headache, sore throat, fatigue, nausea, the whole shebang!
So this morning I followed my newfound routine- get up, make a drink, take a test. It went the same as always, I took the test then went out for a cigarette while I awaited the result, I walked back in and past the test just barely glancing down at it. Stopped in my tracks, I looked again… there it is. We have a full house!
We checked the government guidelines regarding what to do if you have covid and found ourselves disappointed by the advice. It is no longer required that you isolate if you contract covid. Personally I find this terrifying.
Covid has claimed the lives of many and destroyed families, now you can have the virus and walk around freely. There are still many people who are considered vulnerable and high risk. It is extremely anxiety inducing leaving the house knowing that there is still such a high risk of contracting it.
As a family, we will be isolating until we produce negative results again. For the safety of everyone. The vulnerable that we know, and those we don’t. We do not feel it acceptable to put people at risk for our own benefit. We will have our shopping delivered and stay inside our home.
When our isolation ends, we will return to the world still wearing masks and doing our best to keep ourselves and others safe.
