My brush with Covid began twenty-six months after the virus arrived in New Zealand. I’m grateful to have avoided the bug for so long. I’m definitely grateful my brush was a relatively painless one.

I admit to being very careful over the last couple of years. While we haven’t isolated completely, we have spent a lot of time at home. Any forays away from home, even to local shops/restaurants have been carefully planned. The couple of times we’ve travelled, we’ve done so on our own. No public transport so no crowded spaces locked in with strangers. We still wear masks when out and are grateful to see most people do the same. Omicron is still here and making itself felt in many areas.

My brush with Covid began the way I seem to attract any flu. I was miserable for four days with the most alarming symptoms being fatigue and a foggy brain. I avoided many of the other suggested symptoms. It was just like having a very bad cold. On day five I decided to check my social media. Surprise surprise. I couldn’t handle to effort to concentrate for even a few minutes. I know I’ve become lazy with social media over the last year or so, but this time the desire was there to participate, just my brain had gone on holiday.

We discovered how contagious Omicron actually is. What started out with one son testing positive after visiting us soon ended up with every member of my family – bar one – contracting the virus. Within two weeks, four different households had members sick or recovering from Covid. Our granddaughter is proving the exception. Despite her younger brother catching it. And now a couple of weeks late both her parents have tested positive. Poor girl has been tested every day for the last couple of weeks as she displays hay fever symptoms.

The most devastating thing for me during my brush with Covid was not the virus at all. A very dear friend and neighbour, fighting cancer, spent her last week at home while I was in isolation. My promise to be there for her during this time proved useless. Phone calls could not make up for personal visits. I saw her very briefly when my isolation ended and the next day saw her admitted to hospital. As she had spent considerable time in hospital during her illness I looked forward to her return home when we could hang out together. I was gutted by the news she’d passed away.

I’ll regret forever that week when Covid took away precious time I should have been spending with my friend.