CHAPTER 16: SOME PERSONAL STORIES
16.1 Captain Sir Tom Moore
Since the coronavirus pandemic started, there have been many wonderful stories about people doing extraordinary feats to help raise money for various charitable causes. There is possibly none more inspiring than the story of 100-year-old retired British army Captain Sir Tom Moore. Captain Tom set out to raise £1,000 (approximately $1,250 USD) for the UK’s National Health Service charities. With the support of a walking frame, Captain Tom’s objective was to complete 100 laps of his garden before the arrival of his centenary birthday.
His feat not only captured the hearts of the British people, but donations came from far and wide, while his efforts accumulated a staggering figure in excess of £32 million ($40 million USD). In recognition of this amazing achievement, he has been appointed the first Honorary Colonel of the Army Foundation College in Harrogate. Maybe the icing on the cake was receiving a Knighthood from Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth. When his 100th birthday arrived, the Post Office delivered well over 140,000 birthday cards from well-wishers.
So, it was particularly sad to learn that on 2 February 2021, Captain Sir Tom Moore died after having tested positive for COVID-19 a week earlier. It had not been possible to vaccinate him against the virus because of the treatment he was receiving for a pre-existing pneumonia condition. The Queen led the tributes, and many world leaders were also quick to honour Capitan Sir Tom. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said:
“Captain Sir Tom Moore was a hero in the truest sense of the word. In the dark days of the Second World War, he fought for freedom and in the face of this country’s deepest post-war crisis, he united us all, he cheered us all up and he embodied the triumph of the human spirit. It’s quite astonishing that at the age of 100 he raised more than 32 million pounds for the NHS on his own and so gave countless others their own chance to thank the extraordinary men and women who have protected us throughout this pandemic. He became not just a national inspiration but a beacon of hope for the world.”
(BBC, 2021)
One of many inspired by Captain Sir Tom Moore, and certainly, worthy of mention, is 5-year-old Tony Hudgell who walked 10 kilometres on prosthetic legs. He had to have both legs amputated when he was a baby, resulting from the abuse he suffered at the hands of his birth parents. They both received 10-year prison sentences in 2018 for child cruelty.
Tony was adopted by Paula Hudgell and her husband Mark, and they supported him as he set out to raise £500 for Evelina London Children’s Hospital, which had saved his life. The final figure achieved incredibly was over £1 million.
To watch Boris Johnson’s speech or learn more about Tony Hudgell, please visit www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-55881753 and www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-53138706 respectively.
16.2 Sally – An essential shop worker’s story
Based in London, Sally is a team leader working for one of the largest supermarket chains. To begin with, when the pandemic broke, most supermarkets did not have a full complement of staff, as several were considered vulnerable and were shielding at home. Sally’s team consequentially lost several very experienced people, and although the company recruited temporary replacements, initially they placed a further burden on the remaining team members as they learned the role. One industry journal statistic she remembers seeing was estimating anything up to 20% of supermarket workers would need to take time off at the height of the pandemic.
Sally recalls that it was late March 2020, and the UK was heading towards its first lockdown. Panic buying had gripped the nation and products such as flour, pasta, rice, soap and hand sanitisers were disappearing from the supermarket shelves often faster than employees could replenish them. So too were toilet rolls, with an estimated 145 million bought during the initial pandemic buying period. One major lesson learned by supermarkets is how the public is likely to behave when a lockdown is imminent.
Additionally, supermarket food delivery services have experienced a surge in demand, as people stay at home – customers have been placing ‘unusually large orders’, according to Ocado UK.
In the store, Sally explained that although the vast majority of customers have been behaving reasonably, her experience since COVID-19 reached the UK has still been far from positive, having often had to tolerate hostility. She and her colleagues have been frequently verbally abused by customers; sometimes had things thrown at them, one has been physically abused, while a couple have been racially abused. They have also been spat at while being threatened by shoplifters they have confronted.
Things certainly started to become even more difficult when panic buying began, especially when limits were applied to how many items customers could buy. When faced with empty shelves, some customers even unfairly blamed Sally and her team. She also witnessed elderly people being pushed over, customers taking products out of other customer’s baskets, which in some cases resulted in blows being exchanged and the police being summoned.
Cages containing products for restocking shelves have often been ambushed by customers and stripped bare before they have reached their designated shelves.
This is reminiscent of the localised panic buying that occurred in the UK during the 2007 flooding. Water supplies had been disrupted because of a pumping station being flooded, leaving people temporarily without potable water. With an angry looking mob gathering outside his supermarket, one store manager refused to open until police arrived to control the crowd (Dakin, 2014).
Sally also reported that some people just totally ignored social distancing regulations. This left her and her colleagues trying to deal with complaints from other customers upset by the regulations being flouted. Moreover, when it became compulsory for customers to wear face masks, it was not unusual to see customers confronting other customers for not complying. Again, customers often direct their complaints at staff, expecting them to resolve the issue. Sally noticed one regular customer who had a very distinctive and unique hairstyle, who was always wearing his mask under his chin, leaving his mouth and nose completely exposed. Then came the day that she pointed out to him that two policemen had entered the shop and suddenly he adjusted the mask so just his eyes were peering out over the top. Thereafter, she was pleased to see that he was always in compliance with the regulations.
She has found it unbelievable how a small minority of customers have demonstrated such a lack of awareness and consideration to others. Sally cited one customer’s behaviour as not just disgusting, but in light of the threat from COVID-19, it was positively menacing. He had sneezed into his hand, which he then wiped on his trousers before offering her a cash payment with the same hand. She felt she had no option but to temporarily close the till while she washed her hands and the checkout area was disinfected.
Similar to Sally’s experience, albeit in another supermarket, a customer was caught on CCTV reacting violently to being requested to follow the one-way system and protective social distancing protocols that had been put in place. The customer promptly started throwing bottles of wine and spirits onto the floor, smashing many of the bottles, before storming out of the shop (Kay & Munchetty, 2020).
As Sally also pointed out, with customers wearing masks, it can be difficult to identify them. Consequently, you never know if the person you are serving today is the one who was abusing you yesterday.
Looking back, she has felt almost ‘betrayed’ by her employer, as it was several weeks before any form of physical protection was provided. Even when people entering a shop are were legally obliged to wear face masks unless they were medically exempt, some didn’t bother, claiming that they have an exemption from their doctors, although she had never seen one. It is clear that other shoppers who are following the rules don’t like it either, and she has seen arguments start. Although she hadn’t witnessed it personally, she had heard of an instance when a mask-less woman was chased out of the shop by other, law-abiding shoppers.
As if one were needed, an independent verification of Sally’s story has been provided first by Jo Causon, and secondly by Jo Whitfield.
Jo Causon, Chief Executive of the Institute of Customer Service explains:
“Given what has been going on in the wider world, there is a time when we all get a bit frustrated with things but some of the examples we are starting to see are: compromising social distancing, situations where people have been spat at and also threatening language – and the majority of cases, most customers are reasonable but there is a significant minority where we are seeing this and really that is what our campaign is all about: helping to address that.”
(Causon, 2020)
Meanwhile, Jo Whitfield, Chief Executive of Co-op Foods, has said her organisation is one of 23 UK food outlets that is supporting this initiative, especially as over 400 UK shop workers are being threatened by abuse every day (Kay & Munchetty, 2020).
16.3 Philip’s story
My son, Philip, teaches English as a foreign language in Hangzhou, China, approximately 750 kilometres east of Wuhan, the initial epicentre of the COVID-19 outbreak. With the Chinese New Year holiday period approaching he had made plans to fly to the US for a few days to visit friends, returning to China for the start of the new school term. But, with the pandemic intervening, things did not go according to plan.
Instead of being away from Hangzhou for just a few days, he finally returned five weeks later than intended. During this time, in addition to visiting the US as planned, he spent time in the UK and the Netherlands, plus transiting through Moscow Airport twice. On two occasions, Phil has presented COVID-19 like symptoms, – once in the UK and a second time in China. Thankfully, he tested negative on both occasions. At the time of his UK test on 8 February 2020, he was one of around only 4,000 people who had been tested at that time.
Here is a chronological account of his story, which emphasises China’s ‘no-nonsense’ approach to managing the pandemic.
“26 Jan China case count: 2,744, death toll: 80
In Hangzhou, there were no official restrictions in place, although an increase in the wearing of masks was noticeable. Some shopping malls had started to check temperatures and so too had railway stations before entry was permitted.
Travelled by train to Shanghai. Temperature was checked at metro stations and at the hotel. The metro was uncharacteristically quiet. Many malls were offering hand sanitiser upon entry. Museums, galleries and non-essential shops and services had closed.
27 Jan China case count: 4,515, death toll: 106
Full day in Shanghai. Many restaurants chose to close except for delivery or take away, although this was not mandated.
Personal experience – While in Starbucks at 2 pm, they informed all patrons they were closing, along with all other branches in the city.
During this time, the temperature checking of all take away delivery people started. They needed to have that information available via an app should the customer request it. (This has remained in place since.)
28 Jan China case count: 5,974, death toll: 132
Flew to Hong Kong. Temperature checks at each stage of the journey – before entering the metro, airport and upon entering the plane.
Hotel insists upon previous travel history and temperature check. Visible use of face masks.
Personal experience – Locally based friends’ fiancée reportedly reluctant for us to meet (my friend and I).
29 Jan Flew Hong Kong to New York (2 days before President Trump restricts travel from China. First confirmed coronavirus case in USA – 20 Jan).
Temperature and document checks before entering Hong Kong Airport and passing through immigration. Clear use of masks by majority of people.
Upon arrival in New York, I was asked where in China I was travelling from. Border guard not wearing PPE, although some airport staff were wearing masks.
Not aware of health or temperature checks being taken.
Travelled to Boston by train.
Several attempts to buy masks failed. This aside, there was little evidence of a problem. Few people wearing masks, no temperature checks or health questions were conducted.
No apparent social distancing measures in place.
Personal experience – The friends I was due to stay with were reluctant to have someone who lived in mainland China visit due to a new pregnancy.
6 Feb Return to China not possible as flight restrictions had been imposed. Only had USA health insurance for limited period – opted to return to UK.
Flew Aeroflot to London via Moscow to avoid paying extortionate direct air fare.
7 Feb No special measures in place in either Moscow or London and no incidents to report.
Checked-in to hotel in London.
8 Feb On the morning of my second day, I developed a cough and called 111 because of my residential history. I was advised to stay in my hotel room and wait for an ambulance.
I informed hotel staff of the situation, who were very helpful in the days that followed. Ambulance arrived 12 hours later with paramedics in full PPE. I was taken to a local hospital. A doctor, also with full PPE, including face guard, swabbed me after questioning me. She concluded it was unlikely that I had the still yet to be named new coronavirus, but I had to self-isolate in the hotel until the test results were available.
I received the results around 60 hours later confirming that my test was negative on the same day the virus was named SARS-CoV-2 and the disease it causes COVID-19.
12 Feb Travelled by train to Manchester. No checks and no masks being warn.
Split time in the North of England between Manchester and Sedbergh.
21 Feb Flew from Manchester to Amsterdam and onward by train to Groningen. No checks, no masks.
Personal experience – At the airport in Amsterdam, I needed to change money. Upon producing RMB (Chinese yuan), the Bureau de Change assistant had to ask me a series of questions to ascertain if the money could be a potential source of infection. These included, when it was taken out, from which city, how long had it been in my possession while still in China.
I remained in the Netherlands, where there were no checks and no masks worn. No COVID-19 cases had been identified in the country at this time.
All venues open, including a football match which I attended.
25 Feb UK case count: 13, death toll: 0
Flew Amsterdam to Southampton, where I was asked some additional questions when UK Border Force official noticed my Chinese residence permit.
Remained on UK South Coast visiting friends.
No checks, no masks. All venues open, including bars and restaurants. This included places with communal seating, such as Wagamama. Attended football match at Portsmouth.
During this period, Hangzhou School starts period of online learning for students using DingTalk. Teachers who are abroad are able to produce pre-recorded lessons.
Teachers, including those outside of China, had to start submitting a daily self-assessed health check to send to the education board.
3 Mar UK case count: 49, death toll: 0
Took train to Manchester via London. Still no apparent checks or wearing of face masks.
9 Mar UK case count: 293, death toll: 3
Returned to London via train. Greater level of awareness among public for social distancing was noticeable, although London Underground and city centre pubs and restaurants were still busy. Hand sanitiser, masks and other PPE difficult to find.
11 Mar UK case count: 419, death toll: 11
Russia case count: 28, death toll: 0
Flew Aeroflot from London to Moscow.
Temperature check before departure. Some wearing of masks, especially noticeable among flight crew. Upon arrival at Moscow Airport, the frequency of mask wearers was clearly higher than in the UK. Although as a transit hub for China this is probably not a true reflection of the general populace outside of the airport.
12 Mar China case count 80,813; death toll: 3,176
Flew Aeroflot Moscow to Shanghai.
The majority wore masks, no pre-boarding temperature check. Although, as it was a connecting flight, I had not needed to go through security.
Upon arrival in Shanghai, the flight was disembarked by groups based on airport/country of origin. Passengers who connected through Moscow from Italy/Iran were taken off first, then the USA, Germany, France, and next my group, other European countries. Each being checked for symptoms before leaving the plane and having to complete a health declaration and wear a mask.
After leaving the plane, passengers were required to sit down with a health professional in full PPE to discuss their health declaration. They also had their temperature checked and electronically register with the local CDC.
Anyone showing any symptoms was required to be securely transferred to hospital for a series of tests.
From the airport, people were being transported via buses to their home districts in neighbouring cities, then from there to their local communities, which were closed to non-residents/non-authorised personal. Once there, all new arrivals were required to follow the ‘not one step’ quarantine policy. This meant residents couldn’t leave their apartments/hotel rooms for 14 days.
In my individual case I was allowed to take the train from Shanghai to Hangzhou after a mix up between the Shanghai and Hangzhou CDCs. Upon arrival I was taken to my local community and the local social workers performed a shop for me. I was asked for the things I needed, and every two/three days they would complete an additional shop for me. Later in my quarantine it was confirmed that I could have delivery drivers come directly to my home. During this two-week period, I was also required to submit a daily temperature check.
Note: I arrived in China at a time when the authorities did not require people finishing their ‘not one step’ quarantine to complete any COVID-19 testing. However, my colleagues who arrived a few days later were required to do so. They had a fully PPE clad crew turn up and check them and received results within 12 hours
25 Mar My quarantine period ended.
In Hangzhou, there were no restrictions on movements, although initially all entertainment venues were closed, many restaurants, cafes, etc. only offered take away.
All businesses, communities (most residential areas in Chinese cities are groups of tower blocks with places available for security at the entrances), hospitals, and so on require a green health code to enter. This is provided via an ‘Alipay app’ on the user’s phone. The code turns red for those who should be in a quarantine period and yellow/orange for those awaiting test results or who have been tagged as in contact with confirmed cases.
During this period, all communities only had a single entrance operating, where the guards can check the health code status and temperature of anyone wishing to enter. Patrons were also required to wear masks. Some supermarkets provided staff with full PPE, including overalls and masks.
6 Apr The government launched a website showing city by city and district, as low-, medium- and high-risk areas. In low-risk areas, people were advised there was no need to wear masks in open areas and many indoor venues relaxed the rules on entry. Although the aforementioned health code was still generally required by businesses.
Many residential communities stopped requiring this as a prerequisite for entry.
My school reopened initially for staff training, followed by a staggered return to school for students.
26 Apr onward, Further reduction of mask and health code regulations.
Personal experience – Having felt unwell during the morning of April 26th, and as I had some concerns about my temperature, I went to see the school nurse. On discovering that my temperature was 37.9 degrees, I was taken to hospital and tested for COVID-19. Despite the diagnosis of a gastric infection, I was told I could not return to school until the third day after my temperature had normalised. The process was relatively simple. I entered the hospital, was given three tests; Blood, nasal swab and MRI body scan. Once the initial information was available, I was told I was able to go home without a need for quarantine. Within 24 hours I had received the all-clear.
I subsequently learned that my classes had been quarantined until the school was notified that I wasn’t a risk. This apparently happened within 2 hours.
22 Jun Note: Change of policy observed.
One of my students had presented a high temperature in the morning. However, they were allowed to return to class after lunchtime. While there had not been an official change in the school’s policy on high temperatures, this action was contrary to my experience of being unable to return for at least 48 hours.
23 Jun Hangzhou: While no major new restrictions have been put in place, the re-emergence of the virus in a Beijing wet-market saw restrictions slightly tighten again. More places were once again requiring masks and all were checking each individuals’ health code.
9 Jul Short trip to Shanghai. Much relaxed travel process. Masks are required in the train station, although not while on the train.
Differences between Shanghai and Hangzhou. More businesses require masks in SH than HZ. Although few request or require the health code upon entry, most are still testing for temperature. A higher proportion of people are wearing face coverings in the street.
Compared to my previous visit, there seems to be a notable number of smaller businesses that have closed permanently.”
16.4 Elizabeth and Gordon’s story
I have been friends with Gordon and Elizabeth for many years and, along with my late wife, Vivienne, we have shared many happy times together.
They were married in 1967 and celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2017. Over a period of a couple of years, Gordon, a former Royal Naval officer, underwent a noticeable decline in health, and the symptoms pointed towards some kind of neurological problem.
Figure 44: Gordon Peacock in happier times
Then in June 2019, the day after his 75th birthday, he suffered a transient ischaemic attack (TIA), also known as a mini stroke. He spent two weeks in hospital undergoing various tests to establish the reason for his decline. The diagnosis was Motor Neurone Disease (MND), an incurable, life-shortening, degenerative condition.
With support from their family doctor, MND nurses and the local hospice, initially Elizabeth was able to look after Gordon at home, acting as his primary carer for four months. Their grandson, Ashley, who for someone in his early 20s most definitely has an old head on young shoulders, also moved in with them to provide some additional help for his grandparents. His presence was a great comfort to them both.
As 2019 was drawing to a close, it became more difficult to support Gordon’s needs at home, especially as he could no longer do anything for himself. He was admitted to the local hospice to allow Elizabeth a break while he had a few days respite care. He actually remained there for several weeks and, after taking medical advice, in February 2020, Elizabeth arranged for Gordon to be transferred to a residential care home.
Life was difficult enough even before COVID-19
Then came the coronavirus and on 11 March 2020, the residential care home went into lockdown, two weeks before the rest of the UK and a lot sooner than many other care homes. Visits were stopped to reduce the risk of patient and staff being infected with the virus. With Gordon initially on the first floor, even window visits were not possible. However, at least contact could be made using video facilities through social media, which provided some small measure of comfort. This also allowed his son, David, who lives in Canada, the opportunity to join in, too. Even so, video calls became more difficult as Gordon’s ability to communicate verbally had all but ceased.
Much heartbreak was caused for many patients and families alike as hospitals as well as care homes closed their doors to visitors. At the height of the pandemic, visitor entry was denied to loved ones, even for end-of-life situations, regardless of whether the patient was being treated for COVID or not. However, it has been acknowledged that these lockdown precautions often created loneliness among the care home residents and psychological suffering was often experienced by both them and their families.
Several weeks after the lockdown was imposed, Gordon was relocated to a ground floor room, and at least the family could see him again, albeit through the window, but this did bring some small measure of comfort. Gradually, as the first pandemic wave subsided the restrictions were eased. By this time, Elizabeth was permitted to sit by Gordon’s room’s open French windows, but physical contact was still not permitted.
Since relocating to the nursing home, Gordon had several near death experiences, and at the end of August, Elizabeth, their two daughters and their Rector were permitted to make brief visits. But, on each of these occasions, he pulled back from the brink. That was until 21 December 2020, when he finally passed away with his family beside him.
Gordon and Elizabeth’s story is similar to so many others since the pandemic took hold. Regardless of whether patients were suffering with COVID-19 or had some totally unrelated terminal condition, hospitals and care homes have had to close their doors to visitors to protect staff, patients and visitors from the virus. Consequently, many patients have had to face their final hours without the comfort of having their loved ones beside them.
16.5 ‘Pompey’ in the Community (PiTC)
Anyone who has the slightest interest in football (that will be soccer if you live on the far side of the pond), will have undoubtedly heard of clubs like Manchester United, Liverpool, Inter and AC Milan, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich. These are not only examples of well-known clubs that have been very successful over the years, but they carry a great deal of financial clout, too.
With the resources they have at their disposal, it will probably not come as a surprise that they, along with many other large clubs, have been active in supporting their respective communities during the pandemic. But I don’t want to talk about them, I rather recount the efforts of a smaller club, albeit with a proud history, that is close to my own heart. Pompey in the Community (PiTC) is an independent charitable trust affiliated to my own team, Portsmouth Football Club (PFC).
PiTC harnesses the motivational power of PFC to promote education, healthy living, sporting participation and achievement among participants of all ages.
In the season preceding the pandemic outbreak, across Portsmouth and the surrounding areas, more than 35,000 people directly benefitted from its programmes. All its coaches are FA qualified, hold enhanced DBS, as well as Emergency Aid and Safeguarding Children certificates. With a staff of 45 full time, six part time and 40 casual employees, plus 150 volunteers, PiTC operated on an annual turnover of £2 million, being funded by multiple sources. When the UK-wide lockdown was announced in March 2020, PiTC’s mission more or less changed overnight.
PiTC’s Director of Community Projects, Clare Martin, takes up the story:
“When the Prime Minister announced the initial lockdown, my immediate reaction was to panic a little, our core business is delivering football and school sport – both were stopping with immediate effect. However, we had a predominantly young, fit and healthy staff as well as a fleet of seven liveried vans. Within an hour I’d put a proposal to Portsmouth City Council to support the COVID-19 food relief initiative. If successful, we felt we may be able to sustain some form of existence.
The government then announced the Furlough scheme, and we breathed a sigh of relief that structured support would be in place. As a community organisation we still felt we needed to do something to support our community. We furloughed the majority of our staff and asked them to consider volunteering for The Hive, a third sector umbrella organisation that works to link community organisations with each other as well as with Portsmouth City Council. Within 24 hours, the majority of staff were signed up as volunteers and our response was born.
Our staff were split into 3 core teams that volunteered for a week in the centre, two weeks off, so if anyone became ill we could continue to function. During their weeks ‘off’ they all volunteered to support the deliveries, but they didn’t enter the building. Our Head Office became a food and supply warehouse almost overnight. The Hive would take referrals and forward them on to us and the City Council procured the food.
The closing of pubs and restaurants meant that all coming to date food couldn’t be utilised, so we were collecting donations from a huge variety of outlets, from cafes and chip shops to McDonalds outlets and cross-channel ferries.
The first delivery was from Portsmouth Football Club itself; they had, that same day, taken delivery of all the food required for home matches on the following Saturday and again on the Tuesday after; none of it would be needed as fans were now banned from attending matches. We collected £5,000 worth of pies, froze what we could knowing there would be increased need and delivered the rest to soup kitchens and hostels. The Royal Navy then came on board and lent us a full sized freezer container, so we had plenty of storage space. We were also able to provide treats, confectionery from the Isle of Wight Ferries, Easter Eggs as so many went unsold in supermarkets and tray bakes from Quattro, a catering company that went above and beyond to support.
During the first week we delivered 200 food parcels to those either isolating or who were unable to purchase food. The Government Food Parcels for the Shielding scheme had yet to begin so there were some very vulnerable people quite desperate for support. We also were accepting donations from supermarkets and individuals, which supplemented the procurement routes.
There were some harrowing stories such as the 83-year-old lady caring for her husband who was dying of cancer. In more usual times he would be in hospital, but then COVID-19 restrictions would have prevented her from being with him. She could hardly walk so our volunteers had to mask up simply to help her carry her food indoors and unpack it for her. I spoke to another lady who was calling about a donation; I asked her if she needed it that afternoon. Her reply still stays with me “Don’t worry love, we have a tin of peas left in the cupboard, we can share that if you can bring it tomorrow!” By April we were delivering over 400 food parcels each week; each one sufficient to feed an individual for a week. We also had to take into account dietary needs; vegetarians, diabetics, coeliacs, etc. Another learning curve for my staff!
Over the first few weeks of lockdown, footballers were receiving bad press; the amount they were earning and being perceived to be doing little. Determined to help, Christian Burgess, who at the time was a defender for Portsmouth Football Club (PFC) and a PiTC Trustee, called me to find out how the PFC players could support PiTC. He arranged a weekly timetable with players volunteering every day to support deliveries. At that time, the PFC players were determined to help; they all donated and contributed to the fund as well as purchasing care packages for all wheelchair dependent disabled Pompey fans.
They then personally delivered them to the fans, which had an incredibly positive impact. As word of what Pompey in the Community were doing spread, more PFC staff became involved. Kev McCormack, the PFC kitman, collected 150 meals each day that the Queens Hotel were cooking for the food parcels. Alan Knight, our Player Ambassador, also volunteered daily as well as staff from all other departments of the club.
We also partnered with Enable Ability, a disability charity in the Landport area of the city. They were cooking 80 meals a day for the isolated and needy in the middle of Portsmouth. They were keeping their centre open simply to cook the meals so we moved their function into our classroom kitchen. PFC players became involved in this also, supporting the cooking, packaging and distribution of meals.
Ramadan also took place during lockdown and our local Muslim community became involved, The Akash cooked 500 meals for distribution and the Headteacher of the Madani Academy donated regular meals as well. The whole city seemed to come together to support the response.
Throughout Lockdown we submitted funding bids and were lucky to successfully bid for £73,000 of Defra funding to purchase food, £100,000 from Barclays 100x100 Fund. This then enabled us to purchase the food required rather than rely on the City Council. Of course, there were other necessities, such as toilet rolls and pet food; no point in providing food if households had to venture out for pet food or other necessities.
PiTC deliver numerous programmes for youngsters, many who live in apartments in the centre of the city, so we felt we needed to also support them too. We put together activity packages for them with treats and activities as well as Pompey paraphernalia. This then led to ‘Blue Kitchen’. Youngsters would sign up to have ingredients delivered and then we would create a film teaching them how to cook, from pizzas to cup-cakes. This was picked up by Community Integrated Care, a national charity who run care homes for adults with special needs, so we now run weekly ‘Zoom cooking’ sessions for residents.
The PiTC Director of Community Projects, Clare Martin, summed up her story by adding:
“One of the most memorable features were the ‘thank you’ phone calls on a Friday; not from the recipients of food parcels but from numerous volunteers who wanted to say how much they appreciate being able to help or simply how it was helping them through lockdown. I cannot stress enough of how so incredibly proud I was, and I still am, of all my staff.”
16.6 Long COVID – Claire and Sarah’s stories
Regardless of how mild or severe their symptoms may have been, people who have had COVID-19 can experience symptoms that linger for several weeks or even months. This is known as post-COVID-19 or ‘long COVID’. There are several typical symptoms that can be presented, which have been listed in section 3.
Claire and Sarah both live in the Middle East, one in Dubai, the other in Riyadh. Both were diagnosed with COVID-19 and, while they are clear of the infection, they are now suffering with long COVID.
Claire’s story
Claire is an ex-pat based in Dubai. In early September, along with a party of 15 friends (eight couples) she had dined in a Mexican restaurant. Conscious of the local COVID-19 restrictions, including the need for social distancing, they had checked in advance that the restaurant could safely accommodate them. They found themselves seated on tables with place settings for six people which, in principle, complied with regulations. However, the distance between couples was some way short of the recommended minimum, and there was nothing to discourage diners wandering around the restaurant, which some did.
Two days later, news broke that authorities had closed down the restaurant, although its management was rather coy about the reason. Claire had discovered this via a local news broadcast and initially the justification for the closure remained a mystery. Eventually she learnt the truth through her various local connections that several of the restaurant staff had in fact tested positive for COVID.
Being susceptible to chest infections and having suffered with both pneumonia and bronchitis in the past, Claire did not worry too much when she developed a cough. However, after a fever materialised a couple of days later, she subsequently tested positive for COVID-19. So too did 13 others in Claire’s restaurant party, with two needing hospitalisation, though thankfully they all recovered. Later, when they were comparing their experiences, the group were surprised to discover some significant variations in the respective symptoms they had each presented.
After the positive test result, Claire was contacted by a Dubai health service track and trace team wanting to know who she had been in contact with during the previous 14 days. She was instructed to isolate at home for a further 14 days, although if her condition deteriorated, she was to call ‘999’. The track and trace team also called periodically to ensure that she was still isolating.
Claire had already been WFH and continued to do so as much as her condition allowed. She actually found that trying to focus on her job helped take her mind off the discomfort she was experiencing. Even so, she had to pace herself carefully as her energy levels were at a very low ebb.
At the end of her isolating period, Claire was considered to be no longer infectious. However, a number of symptoms have persisted, including extreme tiredness and lack of stamina, shortness of breath, especially after walking upstairs, coughing and difficulty in concentrating. Although not listed as a typical long COVID symptom, Claire has also experienced hair loss.
As I write this section, it is now several months since Claire’s visit to the restaurant. She has not noticed any easing of the symptoms and has now got to the point where she endeavours to manage the condition. Employers should be sympathetic towards long COVID sufferers and they need to remember the condition is real and not just ‘a state of mind’.
Sarah’s story
Sarah is the Business Continuity Manager for HSBC Bank based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. She was attending hospital for a non-COVID related procedure where she remained for one day. Sarah believes she was infected while in the waiting room before surgery. She experienced a post-operation fever, which was initially diagnosed as a reaction to the surgical procedure. As more symptoms presented, she had a COVID-19 test, which proved positive on 2 July 2020. Further testing on 18, 27 and 28 July showed Sarah remained positive until she finally received a negative result on 13 August 2020.
Isolating at home, the symptoms that Sarah experienced during this time were typical of COVID-19, including headaches, fever, dry cough, aches and pains, along with waves of tiredness. She also experienced loss of appetite and sense of smell, plus a high fever, although paracetamol did provide some relief to the latter.
Prior to being infected, Sarah had been receiving treatment for high blood pressure (BP), but the infection resulted in a significant drop in BP, which was accompanied by bouts of dizziness. Of particular concern was her difficulty breathing and shortness of breath. Moreover, when showering she also found steam affected her breathing, by creating a choking sensation. Having checked into hospital, x-rays revealed severe chest congestion and inhaling steam was recommended despite her experience of showering.
Sarah, who describes herself as both a ‘work-aholic’ and a ‘gym-aholic’, was keen to get back to the gym once she had tested negative. However, she discovered that her energy levels remained very low, rendering her unable to exercise.
By the beginning of November 2020, Sarah’s husband started presenting possible COVID-19 symptoms, and she accompanied him to the testing station. With the exception of a returning headache, her COVID-19 legacy symptoms had not changed, but she decided to take the test again anyway. Her husband tested negative, while she was positive.
Sarah recalls the mental trauma she felt following her original positive test back in July. That same sense of foreboding returned with the positive result in November, especially with the array of symptoms she had already experienced. Thankfully, a further test returned a negative result. Even so, she decided to self-isolate again.
Apart from the November ‘blip’, Sarah continues to suffer from the legacy of COVID-19. While her sense of taste and smell has returned, more than five months since originally testing negative, long COVID continues to leave its mark. For her, this has meant aches and pains, especially in her back and neck, which needs regular physiotherapy, memory loss, plus shortness of breath, especially after walking upstairs, chest pains and hair loss, in addition to the return of her high BP.
On the plus side, the HSBC has remained both understanding and supportive throughout. During her period of isolation, it would call regularly to see how she was and whether it could help in any way. They say that you only find out how good your insurance company is when you need to make a claim. The same is certainly true of one’s employer – will it be there for you when you really need help and support?