Zoe Hunter: Covid has come into my home. This is what I've learned

My heart raced as I watched the RAT do its thing. Photo / NZME

OPINION:

I knew it was coming.

The cough started small and grew bigger, and bigger. Then came the snotty nose, the hot sweats, and then the headache.

Hello Covid.

This ugly, contagious virus has come into my home at the most inconvenient time.

My partner has tested positive and I am officially in isolation in our home. It all happened so quickly.

I thought I was prepared for its arrival and I knew it was only a matter of time before it came knocking. But I wasn't prepared for the way I would react.

For a split second, and I am ashamed to admit it, I thought: "Please don't get a test".

At a time when life is so hectic, with important things happening, it was easy to be selfish.

We are both vaccinated and so far I am not displaying any symptoms. But I know at some point or another I could well catch it too.

It would have been easy and simpler to carry on with life, working, socialising and going about my business.

But it's not about me, or my own little bubble. It is far bigger than that.

My thoughts were conflicted when waiting for my partner's rapid antigen test result. My heart raced as I watched the red line move across the board.

On one hand, I thought everything will be fine, it will be negative and life can go on.

But once I saw the two lines displaying a positive result, my heart sank. I froze.

What happens now?

Covid hasn't felt real until now.

We have been reading about Covid, Delta, Omicron and we've seen all the headlines and watched all the images on our television screens for the last two years.

But until that positive result appeared it was always something that existed outside the safety of our own home.

It almost feels like a home invasion.

Bay households are being urged to prepare for self-isolation as Covid-19 case numbers soar and continue to put pressure on hospitals.

There were 1248 new cases in the Bay of Plenty District Health Board area yesterday and 464 in the Lakes District Health Board area.

Toi Te Ora-Public Health reported 811 new cases in Tauranga City, 338 in Rotorua District, 241 in Western Bay of Plenty, 149 in Whakatāne District, 30 in Kawerau, 17 in Ōpōtiki and 126 in Taupō.

All this time my partner and I have managed to dodge the Covid bullet. Now, it is here, in our home, and it is very real.

But it's no one's fault. No one invited Covid into my home and it is certainly not welcome to stay.

It has, however, brought things into perspective.

We can't pretend we are invincible to Covid. If people have symptoms, they need to stay home, get tested and isolate.

For the last 24 hours, I have watched my partner fall ill with hot sweats, low energy, a nasty cough and runny nose.

Luckily, the worst of it seemed to have lasted a short time and he is regaining energy.

But we both agree no one should ever avoid getting a test because a positive result might interrupt their weekend plans or because they don't want to isolate.

We have to be responsible and not be selfish.