gajumaru

The whole house has covid. We got through over two years without catching it, but with the total removal of protective policy this spring and E in nursery it was basically inevitable. (Insert rant here.)

It started with E coming down with a fever last Friday, which turned into gastric flu over the weekend with vomiting, diarrhoea, loss of appetite and dehydration. I was solo parenting on Saturday night and I was worried enough I called 111 on Sunday morning, but by the time we saw an out of hours GP on Sunday evening they had kept food and water down and bounced into the hospital as bonny as anything. Way to make us look daft, kiddo.

Thought that was it, then we both got sore throats and I became feverish on, what was it, Tuesday night? I don't even know what day it is today. I slept for the whole of Wednesday, shivering and sweaty with a piercing headache and whole body aches. Leo solo parented while ill like a champion. We both tested positive Weds night, and so did our housemate. Yesterday I felt quite a lot better, well enough to tackle a bunch of housework and do a batch cook while Leo took a turn staying in bed all day.

I was optimistic that would be the worst of it, but last night I was sweaty and coughing and didn't sleep at all after 2am. Managed to get some more sleep late morning, but not enough, and now I'm with E while Leo goes back to bed. I'm tired, achy, and have a hacking dry cough that is definitely in my lungs.

E has watched a lot of cartoons this week, but they'll be alright. Feeling very grateful for vaccines right now.

The thing is, this isn't even new: we've had a nonstop run of viruses since the new year, and the last month has been mad - E had chickenpox, we all had a mystery non-covid flu thing that wiped Leo and I totally out for three days, and now this. I can't remember the last time none of us was sick. We've barely had any childcare and barely got any work done in weeks. 

The news of the lockdown has left me feeling agitated. Adrenaline. I don't know why because we're already complying with the new measures. We're stocked up for a month or two and are only leaving the house for solo walks to help E sleep.

Still. What a time to live through.

Thoughts whirling around my head about the UK's policies - about the railway nationalisation, homing the homeless in hotel rooms, the 80% wage subsidy, etc. A lot of it is too little too late. As a self employed renter I've slipped through the cracks.

But... a lot of it is *good* policies, dare I say good leadership, from a party all my experience has shown me doesn't have our best interests at heart. It's surreal, bewildering, a relief, and unsettling. Turns out socialist policies are the best ones after all, yay? Will any of this survive the pandemic or will we go straight back to neoliberal business as usual? Surely nothing will ever be the same again?