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| Coronavirus: Stories of self-isolation | Coronavirus: Stories of self-isolation |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| As people self-isolate to slow the spread of coronavirus, one family describes being tested at home and a student explains why she has moved into a caravan on her parents' drive. | As people self-isolate to slow the spread of coronavirus, one family describes being tested at home and a student explains why she has moved into a caravan on her parents' drive. |
| Phillip Meyer said an ambulance arrived at his Kent home nine days after he called NHS 111 when he and his son developed coughs following a trip to Italy. | Phillip Meyer said an ambulance arrived at his Kent home nine days after he called NHS 111 when he and his son developed coughs following a trip to Italy. |
| Mr Meyer said: "A woman came in dressed in what looked like a hospital gown covered with green plastic, gloves, a face mask and a visor over her head. | Mr Meyer said: "A woman came in dressed in what looked like a hospital gown covered with green plastic, gloves, a face mask and a visor over her head. |
| "She took mouth and nose swabs and said we have to wait 72 hours for the results. If we have had coronavirus then the symptoms have been very mild." | "She took mouth and nose swabs and said we have to wait 72 hours for the results. If we have had coronavirus then the symptoms have been very mild." |
| Mr Meyer, his wife and two sons passed through Milan airport which was in the coronavirus-affected region before the whole of Italy went into lockdown. | Mr Meyer, his wife and two sons passed through Milan airport which was in the coronavirus-affected region before the whole of Italy went into lockdown. |
| The Meyer family are one of many following government advice to stay at home after travelling to an area affected by coronavirus or being in close contact with an infected person. | The Meyer family are one of many following government advice to stay at home after travelling to an area affected by coronavirus or being in close contact with an infected person. |
| Mr Meyer said his wife was verbally abused by a patient in a doctors waiting room. | Mr Meyer said his wife was verbally abused by a patient in a doctors waiting room. |
| "When my son and I were asked to self-isolate, NHS 111 were quite explicit that my wife could continue with a pre-arranged a doctors appointment," he said. | "When my son and I were asked to self-isolate, NHS 111 were quite explicit that my wife could continue with a pre-arranged a doctors appointment," he said. |
| "As a point of courtesy she let the receptionist know that my son and I were self-isolating. The receptionist leapt back from the glass window and said she shouldn't be there. | |
| "The practice manager came out and told her it was fine but another patient was swearing at her saying if she effing killed her child she would effing kill her. | "The practice manager came out and told her it was fine but another patient was swearing at her saying if she effing killed her child she would effing kill her. |
| "So we took a decision quite early on to self-isolate the whole family." | "So we took a decision quite early on to self-isolate the whole family." |
| Mr Meyer said he had found some elements of staying at home difficult. | Mr Meyer said he had found some elements of staying at home difficult. |
| "The children think it's great but it's hard to get them to understand that they can't play XBox all day. We are trying to get them to work so that's quite stressful. | "The children think it's great but it's hard to get them to understand that they can't play XBox all day. We are trying to get them to work so that's quite stressful. |
| "I'm a very active person. I do a lot of cycling and about 15,000 steps a day so it's frustrating just being around the house all day. | "I'm a very active person. I do a lot of cycling and about 15,000 steps a day so it's frustrating just being around the house all day. |
| "I've got an indoor bike and it's one of the only things keeping me sane," he said. | "I've got an indoor bike and it's one of the only things keeping me sane," he said. |
| Leah Scott is self-isolating in a caravan on her parents driveway after returning from Bergamo, a high risk area of Italy for coronavirus. | Leah Scott is self-isolating in a caravan on her parents driveway after returning from Bergamo, a high risk area of Italy for coronavirus. |
| She had been teaching English in a school as part of her languages degree at the University of York. | She had been teaching English in a school as part of her languages degree at the University of York. |
| "I was loving it until they closed the school, then the military got involved and it was all feeling a bit scary," said the 20-year-old from Leeds. | "I was loving it until they closed the school, then the military got involved and it was all feeling a bit scary," said the 20-year-old from Leeds. |
| "I booked my flight home and one hour later Ryanair announced it was the last one so I was so relieved that I managed to get back. | "I booked my flight home and one hour later Ryanair announced it was the last one so I was so relieved that I managed to get back. |
| "I rang my parents and we made a plan for them to get the caravan ready for me because our house is small and we share bathrooms. | "I rang my parents and we made a plan for them to get the caravan ready for me because our house is small and we share bathrooms. |
| "I'm so lucky to have this caravan that's hooked up to electricity and water. | "I'm so lucky to have this caravan that's hooked up to electricity and water. |
| "I've got a fridge freezer and cupboards which my parents stocked up before I arrived. My mum made me a beef stew and left it outside. | |
| "I like my own company so I don't think it's going to bother me too much. | "I like my own company so I don't think it's going to bother me too much. |
| "I've got lots of uni work to do and I've got books, wifi and my art stuff. I am trying to look at it as an artistic retreat." | "I've got lots of uni work to do and I've got books, wifi and my art stuff. I am trying to look at it as an artistic retreat." |
| Paul Fennemore, a university lecturer from Oxfordshire, said he and his wife had decided to self-isolate after returning from a ski trip in Italy. | Paul Fennemore, a university lecturer from Oxfordshire, said he and his wife had decided to self-isolate after returning from a ski trip in Italy. |
| "We stayed in a resort called Selva and flew back out of Verona on 7 March, two days before the whole Italian lock down," he said. | "We stayed in a resort called Selva and flew back out of Verona on 7 March, two days before the whole Italian lock down," he said. |
| "Given that we did not stay in the locked down towns we were not 100% sure if we should self-isolate. | "Given that we did not stay in the locked down towns we were not 100% sure if we should self-isolate. |
| "But we were very close and we must have crossed paths with people from the infected regions at the ski resorts so we have decided to self-isolate, not least to avoid contact with my wife's very elderly and weak parents." | "But we were very close and we must have crossed paths with people from the infected regions at the ski resorts so we have decided to self-isolate, not least to avoid contact with my wife's very elderly and weak parents." |
| So far neither of them had any symptoms and were coping well with staying in the house. | So far neither of them had any symptoms and were coping well with staying in the house. |
| "What we are not coping very well with is the conflicting advice," he said. | "What we are not coping very well with is the conflicting advice," he said. |
| "The NHS said we didn't have to self-isolate, then the Foreign Office site said we do, so we just decided to apply common sense." | "The NHS said we didn't have to self-isolate, then the Foreign Office site said we do, so we just decided to apply common sense." |
| Mr Fennemore said he and his wife could work from home and had ordered their grocery shopping to be delivered. | Mr Fennemore said he and his wife could work from home and had ordered their grocery shopping to be delivered. |
| "I cleared out a big cupboard yesterday and I might do some decorating, but I imagine after another 10 days we might start getting cabin fever." | "I cleared out a big cupboard yesterday and I might do some decorating, but I imagine after another 10 days we might start getting cabin fever." |
| York Central MP Rachael Maskell said she had been told to self-isolate until 19 March as a result of a meeting she had with health minister Nadine Dorries who has been diagnosed with coronavirus. | |
| "I'm great in myself," she told BBC Look North. "This is the frustration, it all feels a little surreal when you are asymptomatic, you're not showing signs of a cough or an aching chest or a temperature, you're feeling fine. | "I'm great in myself," she told BBC Look North. "This is the frustration, it all feels a little surreal when you are asymptomatic, you're not showing signs of a cough or an aching chest or a temperature, you're feeling fine. |
| "I want to get on with the job. The budget today is really important but I can't be in parliament at this time. | "I want to get on with the job. The budget today is really important but I can't be in parliament at this time. |
| "So I've shifted my work online, taking phone calls instead of attending meetings, making sure that I'm putting questions in electronically, continuing my role in a virtual way. | "So I've shifted my work online, taking phone calls instead of attending meetings, making sure that I'm putting questions in electronically, continuing my role in a virtual way. |
| "We are going to have to get used to this as a nation. Yes it's an inconvenience, but nothing compared to the spread of coronavirus." | "We are going to have to get used to this as a nation. Yes it's an inconvenience, but nothing compared to the spread of coronavirus." |