By 1news.co.nz and is republished with permission.
Holly Laverack described their experience as an “intense lockdown”. (Source: Breakfast)
After the country on Monday reported 981 new Covid-19 community cases, chances are high that many people will have to isolate at some stage and manage their symptoms at home.
One woman who has already experienced the challenges of isolating from home is Holly Laverack after her flatmate was infected with Covid-19.
Alfie Douglas, who is double vaccinated, told Breakfast he tested positive for the virus on January 11.
He said he “didn’t really feel that bad, just really bad muscle fatigue, slightly achy joints and stuff”.
“It was really bad for a couple of days but then after that, ‘cause I was double vaccinated, felt pretty good.”
Laverack said there was “a bit of panic” initially after Douglas tested positive for the virus.
“It was a huge shock because there were barely any cases when he got it and then just kind of ‘what do we do? What happens next?” she said.
“We felt supported but for the first few days, it was definitely big stress. Are we going to catch it? And then after that, we kind of got used to it.”
She said the three flatmates went under “kind of an intense lockdown”, with Douglas being moved into his own room before eventually being moved to a quarantine facility.
Douglas said life in quarantine “was more boring than anything … boring and lonely, and then just frustrating but it could be worse, I suppose”.
Laverack made several TikTok videos detailing her experience during the flat’s two-week isolation period.
“I just wanted to document the process because I didn’t know anyone in New Zealand who had got Covid so I thought, ‘Oh, I can share my experience and show people that it … wasn’t as scary,” she explained.
“It seems like this really scary thing and then when it happens to you, it’s manageable and I just wanted to show people what the process would be like if you got Covid and were a household contact, this is the process that you have to go through.”
She advised people to “build a community of support” with friends, family and, if you live in an apartment, your building manager if possible for help with tasks such as bringing in mail and taking out the rubbish.
Douglas added that communication “is the most important thing – speaking to friends, speaking to people you work with and then speaking to your family as well”.
“If you need help, you can ask for it … If you don’t speak to anyone about anything, then you’re not going to get any help.”
