I would say "what are the chances!?" but if the last 2 years has taught us anything it is that anything can happen... and so begins family isolation for the next 10 days. At least for now it seems like a good thing to document, both the virus and how/if we can survive without killing one another! :D

Well that came out of nowhere - Thursday 9th - Day -1 #

A rare visit to a studio prompted the obligatory Lateral Flow Test, all clear and a good day was had (if hard work being with real actual humans). Booster jabs booked for Saturday and final bits of Christmas shopping to be done.

Friday 10th - Day 0 #

A busy day - off to pick up a part for the van and working to tail off client work for the weekend. Beer and snacks sorted for the evening. In prep for Saturday booster a quick Lateral Flow Test as we wouldn't want to get a booster and be asymptomatic... wait a minute why is this showing 2 lines?!

My wife arrived home after walking the dog and I broke the odd news to her, we were pretty confused as I had no realy symptoms to speak of (looking back maybe I was feeling a bit jaded on Friday). A few minutes later my wife and eldest daughter come downstairs brandishing similar positive results. We did not see that coming. PCR tests booked for 8am, online shop ordered and an evening spent pondering how we got to this point.

Saturday 11th - Day 1 #

10 days of isolation does not bode well for us 4 in a small Victorian terrace. Even on the drive to the walk in clinic tempers begin to fray. The chap at the center was an absolute star - super helpful and nice considering he was beginning a long day of dealing with people who potentially have covid.

Our youngest is the worst for doing tests... he needs to be pinned down pretty much but we manage it. Bags are deposited into the bin and we drive home - our last moments of freedom.

I am fairly sure we all have it, if not then this is a spectacular placebo effect or some other winter bug. The day is spent having a smorgasbord of mild symptoms separated by moments of feeling completely fine.

The online shopping arrives and the lovely burgers I had planned are substitued, along with brown rolls instead of white and a few other bits and bobs. My appetite seems to have deserted me so I just make stuff for the rest of the family. I still feel well enough to have my beer advent calendar though!

Daughter takes to her bed feeling tired, wife feels sick and takes to bed and the boy seems ok.. wonder if he has avoidied it or maybe had it last week so mildly we didn't notice... time will tell when the PCR results come back.

Health Scores (0 is hellish, 10 is fine)
  • Me - 8
  • Wife - 7/8
  • Daughter - 8
  • Son - 10

Sunday 12th - Day 2 #

Weirdly I felt compoletely fine on Sunday apart from the occasional feel of gravity increasing and my energy sapping. The kids are in good enough spirits to be bickering and my wife is proably the worst out of all of us - she slept alot of the day.

  • Me - 9
  • Wife - 6
  • Daughter - 9
  • Son - 5

Monday 13th - Day 3 #

Managed to make myself presentable for the daily Zoom meeting and like yesterday feel a bit like a flickering lamp - fine one minute, super tired the next. One thing I have noted is my perception of time is off. I thought it would feel slowed down but somehow you glance at the clock and it is 2pm not lunchtime as you thought. Some of this may be due to a reduced appetite perhaps.

Kids settling into home schooling reluctantly and wife is still the worst of us, coughing, blurry vision and generally a bit confused.

  • Me - 8
  • Wife - 6
  • Daughter - 8
  • Son - 10

Tuesday 14th - Day 4 #

Feels like I could sleep for a week! Which is weird as it is the 4th day without leaving the house. I normally average about 16k steps a day, so really it presses home just how much this virus saps you.

  • Me - 8
  • Wife - 7
  • Daughter - 8
  • Son - 10

Wednesday 15th - Day 5 #

Maybe it is trying to work as normal or maybe things are peaking... sense of taste and smell has left us all. This is most surreal.. tried testing myself with different things, tuna, curry powder, vinegar... nothing.

  • Me - 7
  • Wife - 9
  • Daughter - 8
  • Son - 10

Thursday 16th - Day 6 #

Woke feeling a bit better - "almost" like I had a little energy. It was quickly sapped away by just being though. I thought being stuck in for 10 days would be a killer but haven't yet felt the claustrophobia or boredom of just being.

  • Me - 8
  • Wife - 9
  • Daughter - 8
  • Son - 10

Friday 17th - Day 7 #

A week has gone in what seems like a flash. I actually feel pretty good today, not boundless energy but definite signs of improvement. This is lucky as Rex's birthday is on Saturday and we need to try and muster up something vaguely fun/bake a cake etc.

Actually managed to make it into the shed today too which must be a good sign - carried on the endless cleaning of the bike parts for my re build project.

  • Me - 9
  • Wife - 10
  • Daughter - 9
  • Son - 10

Saturday 18th - Day 8 #

Rex's Brithday! Woke up and had a bleeding nose which was novel... feel a bit crabby today, hopefully that is just a passing thing, not long to go now and for the first time since this began I could really hack going out of the house... think I am done with this now!

  • Me - 9
  • Wife - 10
  • Daughter - 9
  • Son - 10

Sunday 19th - Day 9 #

I feel pretty much normal now apart from my sense of smell/taste. Not had chance to test my fitness as stilol house bound and not a big fan of indoor workouts. Everyone else seems back to normal with wife and eldest daughter also still having smell and taste issues. One day to go... can't wait to escape the house!

  • Me - 9
  • Wife - 10
  • Daughter - 10
  • Son - 10

Monday 20th - Day 10 #

It is the last day! I honestly thought it would be much harder, and if we hadn't actually been ill maybe it would have been. As it is things have passed with nothing too worrying which I am very thankful for, especially a lack of cough/lung related grimness. I `m literally going to skip out the door tomorrow!

  • Me - 9
  • Wife - 10
  • Daughter - 10
  • Son - 10