Kelly Stuart 11/05/2020 News

Sam’s story: 30th April 2020

This feels like a really strange time. Normally I’d be seeing my fiancé a few times a week and working in my paid job.

I’m a very social person, and being in lockdown is really affecting how I feel a lot of the time.

I live in a supported living house with three friends, and there is a staff member here with us 24 hours a day. There are about 8 different staff coming in and out on different shifts. I can see they are really careful about making sure they wash their hands a lot and use any protective equipment which is needed.

My fiance lives with his parents. I usually stay overnight at his house at least once every week, but I don’t think we would have been allowed to choose to lockdown together.

We chat through video messenger about twice every week, and we talk through text lots every day. It’s just not the same as seeing each other though. I really miss being with him. It gets me down some days.

Just before lockdown started, I was on holiday in Porthcawl with my fiancé and some friends. It was so weird when the pubs closed. We came home as soon as we could the next day, and we self-isolated just to be safe. None of us had any symptoms.

A good friend of mine is currently in hospital with Coronavirus. He is non-verbal and uses hand gestures and signs to communicate. I’m really worried about him. I think he’s doing ok, but its so hard knowing he is in hospital unwell with this virus.

I’m trying to watch the news to keep up to date, but at the moment it seems like all the news I see is bad and depressing. I want to stay up to date but I also want to keep my mood happy. I try not to watch the news too much every day. I noticed today that testing for the virus has increased and that Boris’s baby as arrived. That’s positive.