jonathan.beckett@gmail.com

The one where I caught COVID

We went out for dinner last week to celebrate the end of college for my eldest daughter. She seemed a bit under the weather, but soldiered on – then over the weekend I spent a lot of time with my eldest daughter, watching Stranger Things. Somewhere in the middle of that, the pair of us caught COVID.

The rest of the family seem to be ok.

I find it interesting that everybody's experience of COVID is different. I have aches, chills, a high temperature, a headache, and a cough – although the cough was the last symptom to appear. I'm probably on about day 4, as far as we are aware – although full-on effects only showed up on Saturday.

We suspected either flu, or tonsillitis too – but following a visit to the doctor first thing this morning, my eldest was confirmed with COVID – so no need for me to wonder any more.

The first thing I did was inform work. I'm now figuring out how best to hide myself away from the rest of the family for the week.

Now I just fear what will happen to the house. After getting up this morning I spent an hour clearing the kitchen up before learning what was wrong with me, during which time I had pulled a load of glassware out of the dishwasher that would have been destroyed by it.

I put a load of washing in the machine too. Somehow the kids think dumping dirty clothes in the bathroom is the same as washing them.

We won'''t mention that I also emptied the kitchen bin, which was overflowing onto the floor, and the gap alongside it, which apparently had an invisible 'cardboard recycling centre' sign above it. Oh – and then there was the three trips outside with recycling, because there's another invisible sign next to the kitchen sink.

If I sound pissed off, it's because I am.