Day Zero - 21/09/2021
I am welcomed to Holiday inn express, queens ferry road where I am going to spend possibly 10 days of my quarantine depending on results, if not more, after travelling to a red list country for work. I am overwhelmed by the nature of the quarantine and I decided to share my welcome experiences which then seemed grim, that was before I went through it all!. See my Previous blog. Why do I do this? if I had read quarantine conditions in the UK, I would have made better choices, either not to travel or to comeback through an amber or green country. I don't wish it on anyone, so I will share my journey to help some one else.
Day one - 22/09/2021
I noticed that I am referred by my room number :-). Every time I ask to go out for exercise, the security guy goes on his walkie talkie and calls down stairs and reports that ''606 coming down''! same is done as I come up. They make is look like there is danger looming in the corridors -- its almost comical! I know they are doing their job and they are friendly people, also caught up in the system.
Day Eight; 29/09/2021
Woke up with pain in the neck which activates a headache, slow morning but work keeps me going, so I started work around 10.45am. My day eight PCR test done today, the last test for the end of my quarantine. Went out for exercise which was refreshing breathing fresh air and stretching out. I got a wrong order for dinner, complained on phone (as if anyone cares :-) I was told that I should remember that am in quarantine!!!!
Day Nine; 30/09/2021
The knock for breakfast woke me up, as if there is something good to wake up to. Thankfully the day was busy and ended quickly. I think its the thought that I am going home soon! My headache is gone and the neck pain is under control with deep heat
Day Ten; 01/10/2021
Day ten was the worst night mare of my quarantine. Despite not being sick or having any covid19 symptoms, my results read positive very early in the morning. I did not mention that I had Covid19 at the beginning of July 2021, and NHS told me then that there is a possibility of getting a false positive until after three months. So even when I travelled, I always dreaded getting a false positive since I was still in the three months window. I explain this to the medical team and they agree to do a confirmatory test immediately, results to be received the next day
I call my husband to share the news that I am not coming home on 2nd October as anticipated, but my daughter picks the phone, they are on the way to school. Her first statement was, ''Mummy I am so excited you are coming home tomorrow, I didn't sleep''. I didn't know how to tell her that I am not going home the next day, I asked her to pass on the phone to my husband and I left him to break the news. Later I am told my daughter broke into tears and didn't stop crying, even when she reached school. If you are a parent, you know how that feels - being helpless to do anything for a depressed child is the worst nightmare when you are the source of her depression.
I equally get depressed but I continue working until 19.30hrs - hiding behind work to manage my stress
Day Eleven; 02/10/2021
Day eleven is Saturday, I am told my daughter is crying on and off and not eating or sleeping well. My depression and helplessness increases, I have to wait for confirmatory PCR results. The ''private'' testing team is also checking on me at short intervals to ascertain if I have got the results (as mentioned, there is no private testing, its NHS- we provide them the results vs them giving us the results). The day was abnormally long like more hours had been added to it - the results do not come that day and we wait for the next morning.
Day Twelve - 03/10/2021
I am in disbelieve, I start reasoning why they should take the positive test to suit their needs vs a negative one when its the same institution doing the test and know in my situation a false positive is possible! I then try to reason and say OK, I understand the need for I solation or being careful, but can I do it at home given my daughters' situation as well as mine, I am fully vaccinated, this is most likely a false positive? The response I get is that if I want to go home I can go, they will call the police on me! I just close the door and cry my eyes out due to frustration - of not reasoning with sensible human beings, and being threatened instead of being helped. I did the crying most of the day, as did my daughter.
I called test and Isolate, talked to a very nice sounding lady who sounded concerned and consulted her supervisor, the answer was that the case has to go to the local board for a decision - but they should be able to release me given the negative result and the fact that I am still in the 90 days window
See articles about false positives and associated trauma
Why are some COVID test results false positives, and how common are they? (theconversation.com)
I am sure its a false positive- I have no single symptom, I am as normal as can be, took all precautions and I know I am within the 90days window since my Covid19 infection where a false positive is possible.
Its always great to have support groups, my lovely group of women, (we call ourselves tortoises) for our slow but sure and resilient attitude towards health and life) - were mad on my behalf, sent advice etc which included raising the issue with my area Member of Parliament or councillor. Below are some of their messages that made me smile in my misery - never mind that each is located all over the UK - Scotland, England, Northern Ireland etc! Thank you amazing tortoises!
Day Thirteen; 04/10/2021
I am beaten emotionally and mentally by all the events of the previous day, I have no energy to raise my head. Have I mentioned that I lost appetite since Friday (day 10)? I am just not hungry, food is the least of my worries, and its lined up outside my door but I cannot eat. The councillor has responded - which surprises me as nothing seems to move effectively, and is sympathetic and notes its an NHS issue and promises to follow up.
I get a call from the NHS Lothian GP in the afternoon, she listens to my conditions and circumstances and concludes it is possible to isolate at home. she says I will be released and she promises to send a letter to the government office dealing with managed isolation. I am not so excited because I know circumstances keep changing. Unless I see myself out of this prison, I wont celebrate. But, there is a little hope though that something is going on.
The doctor calls back in the evening to let me know that she sent the letter but I have to email managed isolation - though she has sent her recommendation, they need an email from me. I immediately send the email around 17.30hrs elaborating my circumstances, and I get a response at 19.12, acknowledging my email and advising that ''there may be'' scope for exemption if there is a letter from the GP explaining past treatment. Now we are moving in circles, and I am not sure what to do next. I decide to sleep on it and start tomorrow.
Day Fourteen; 05/10/2021
Today I wrote to my GP forwarding the email response to mine and requesting again for a recommendation. The doctor promises to speak to me in the afternoon, I am also told I have to pay £30 for my details to be sent (to be honest I am not sure what I am paying for! writing the report? posting it? not sure). Since I am in Isolation and cannot go to pay physically, I could pay on line or send some one to pay. My son goes to Milton Surgery and pays the £30 and I am told that the Doctor will call me and make an assessment. This is the second one, I did another yesterday and got a release promise. Before the doctor calls, managed isolation office sends an email that I should be the one to send the assessment not my GP (patient confidentiality). The doctor calls, my vertigo has also set in now, she promised prescription and we are all not sure how to get it but we agree it can be sent to boots meadow banks, my husband will pick it and bring it to the isolation hotel. I repeat the quarantine and testing story plus personal circumstances, she promises to write the recommendation by end of the day, it can either be posted to the hotel or some one could pick it for me. We agree my husband will pick it.
Mean while my ward councillor has also followed up with NHS Lothian, the story in response is different, some one writes to inform the councillor that he has appointed a GP to send my recommendation to the SG (I don't know what SG means nor do I know which GP) but lets wait for tomorrow. My councillor has done her job, bless her.
Day Fifteen; 06/10/2021
My husband tells me she found my daughter crying in the living room, when he asked what is wrong, she pointed at my picture on the wall and continued crying! For any parent, you can imagine how this makes one feel! My husband sounded frustrated, I feel so helpless and angry that I cannot comfort my girl. By the way I stopped going for exercise, I sun bathe from my room that is facing the East side of the hotel and gets lots of sun shine and I open the windows for fresh air when the weather allows. I am angry with the establishment that I don't want to ask for permission to go out again.
The letter from my GP comes, I forward it to managed Isolation at 11.07 am, it is now 17.21, there is no response yet. Of course I reason that when I leave, the hotel will lose income from Government, so no one cares about releasing me! its about how much they can make off me.
The response email finally arrives at 17.50 refusing me to self isolate at home but advises that ''The Health Protection (Coronavirus) (International Travel and Operator Liability) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 Part 5 24 provides for the right to appeal to the sheriff or the summary sheriff against the requirement to possess a managed self-isolation package or remain in the managed isolation accommodation''.
The explanation still focuses on having travelled to a red list country and the day 8 positive test, no one is talking about the possibility of a false positive based on my negative result after the positive. As read above, teachers who got Covid were told not to test again to avoid false positives and stop working. My case is different, despite the fact that I am fully vaccinated.
I make a decision to wait for the days to end since its a cat and mouse game. Of course they know by the time you chase the sheriff, where the answer will possibly be no, your quarantine days will be over. ''after all, Government is paying''
Day Sixteen; 07/10/2021
Today is a busy day with meetings and a speaking engagement, I am low and depressed but the work keeps me going. I realise I do not want to discuss my circumstance because it depressed me more. I had the opportunity to have a conversation with the director, we talk about my incarceration and the injustices around Covid19 vaccination, travel etc despite most countries getting off the red list. This helps me air out some of the issues oppressing me mentally.
I have a speaking engagement for the top women conference bringing together tens of thousands of African women, a good distraction listening to different voices and the struggles women and other vulnerable groups experience
More meetings in the afternoon, the neck pain is intense today but I am consoled by the knowledge that I am counting hours before I go home.
Day Seventeen; 08/10/2021
Today is my last day, I am working as always and planning to pack my belongings. I have decided that I will leave after midnight, which technically will be 9th since the NHS test and protect sent me a message that my full isolation ends 8th October.
At 2.00pm Inform the hotel that I intend to leave after midnight, if there is any processing/check out, they need to do it in good time so nothing hinders me. A security officer comes to the door and declares that my quarantine ends on 10th. I show him my message from NHS and he leaves. Around 06.45, I get a call from security to ask me if I have luggage and will need a trolley, I confirm that I will need one.
At 09.25pm, some one from the security or testing team comes with an exit certificate dated 10th October and shows me a clause that managed isolation has inserted that they count ten days after the test. Remember NHS says from the day of the test, or from the date symptoms started. This contradicts NHS guidelines, but it also contradicts the document I was given on arrival which aligns with NHS counting. and this is being given to me 2.5 hours before my departure. The test is done by NHS but end of isolation is decided differently!
My children were waiting, my husband was waiting, we all knew this is the last day since the extra 10 days are fully done. My husband was coming to pick me, and I didn't know how to tell him that I have been stopped again. So I made a decision that I am going to leave without release since the statements are contradicting and my 10 days are done
One particular security man came to my door three times begging me not to leave and explaining that the system will want to find fault with me and charge more money, he says the fine for one day is £2000 if you leave earlier. When I express my feelings and decision to a few people, there is fear of getting into more trouble than I am in, if I go against the law. But what I am not understanding is which laws I have gone against? I am not a criminal, I have done my 10 days, so is it possible that an office can add days to make more money for isolation without regard whatsoever for the established procedures? is this the UK we are talking about?
After having a conversation with my husband we agree that I should accept the draconian law and stay, being African, non citizen, though legally working in the UK, many things could go wrong for me. I don't stand a chance. (Did I mention that the hotel is manned by people of colour, tests done by Indians and the chef I saw one day who was concerned I was not eating was oriental?) . I keep wondering who is behind this booming business!
We don't know how to break the news to the children especially the 09 year old, I leave it with my husband to handle as has been the norm. He talks to Elizabeth, she remained silent. No tears this time, no words. When you tell untruths to a child and not once but three times, they lose trust in you and this response points towards that. I hope I will be able to re-establish that trust. I have been a travelling mother, but I am truthful about when I will return, my daughter marks the calendar and I return on the appointed time. This time has been different!
Day Eighteen - 09/10/2021
I do not go to bed until 03.00 am in the morning. Everything is packed and I am not unpacking for the third time. Part of me wants to sit and wait for 10th morning so I can go home.
As I sit frustrated , I write to managed quarantine office and complain about the contradictions and how I am detained unfairly. I know they will come up with one excuse or other, but I want to get back at some body, so I just write anyway (always a scribbler).
I am sure anything else can be created to make me stay and make the company make an extra dime, so I wait.
Day 19 - 10th October 2021
So I get to leave my prison today, it is 00.30 am and my husband and nine year old pick me. My daughter couldn't eat her dinner, actually none of them ate, anticipating the worst and my daughter could not sleep, she wanted to come to the hotel and confirm if the story was true or not. I cant describe the excitement when I stepped out to freedom. My daughter expresses herself though pictures whether she is happy or sad. When we got home, she gave me a picture of a sad cat, which she drew when I failed to come home, and a happy Owl which was drawn on the day I came home
I only revisited this page, today 15th October, I have not recovered from the trauma or the neck and back pain, but life goes on.
For whatever reason, travelling to a red list country is risky and not worth it - especially if you are coming to the UK where you have to deal with machine men with machine minds. Thankfully the list has reduced!
But the question is, who is benefitting from this Covid19 testing and quarantine business?
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