Home isolation for Christmas, Sam’s story

The Christmas holiday is known for its ability to bring all and sundry together, especially family.

It is that time of the year when bonds are further concretised or even united.

2020 has been described by many as the year that tested their resilience.

This year, many families struggle to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic; loved ones were lost, affected directly by the coronavirus or directly.

The pandemic has certainly taken a toll on our relationships with everyone, co-workers, friends and obviously relatives.

This year hundreds of Guyanese who tested positive for the virus and are in isolation at home would be spending this festive season differently.

Up to Thursday, the Ministry of Health said that some 603 persons are currently in isolation in their homes.

So what does this all mean for the pepper pot sharing, families lunches, dinners and gift exchanges within the families?

We spoke with one person who is isolated at home after testing positive a few days ago.

Sam, as we will refer to him is one of those persons who took all precautions to guard against the virus, reflecting on whether he thought it was possible that he would be affected, he told us he had been trying to be cautious, “unfortunately, it wasn’t enough,” he said, “where I work, in the last two weeks, more than 20 people got tested positive,” he explained.

The first few days have not been that difficult he said. Sam has been confined to his room, for his and his family’s convenience, he does not have to share a bathroom with the rest of his family.

While he does not have a strict daily routine, his hours have been taken up by light reading, watching basketball and trying to maintain a social life by chatting with friends he said.

Sam understands the need to protect his family as he says “the safest thing for my family is for me to stay away from them and that is more important than being in the festivities of Christmas”.

While many persons gather around their breakfast tables this morning, that is not an option for Sam, “there is no other way to spend your holidays than being locked in your room, maybe sit down by the door and look at everybody eating, maybe get some food sent up in my little prison,” he chuckled

As Sam continue on his home isolation he is appealing to persons to take all possible precautions and most of all to think about others.

He made an appeal to young people in particular, “while you are younger and it might be easier for you,  but there might be other people who it would not be easier for, you walking around without a mask or your mask just covering your mouth, you could easily spread it, especially the asymptomatic people, everybody needs to wear their mask and wear your mask properly,” he pleaded.