A WEST Belfast care assistant says we are “not over” the Covid-19 pandemic yet after she contracted the virus herself.
Patricia Brown from Brooklands Care Home has been forced to stay at home after she tested positive following a test at work.
HERO: Patricia Brown says Covid-19 is the worst thing ever to hit the care home sector
Her daughter, Chloe Lavery (21) who also works at Brooklands also caught the virus but has since tested negative and is back to work.
Patricia explained: “My daughter tested positive and because she lives with me, I had to self-isolate.
“Chloe thought she had a wee bit of a cold. She is never sick so I told her to get tested.
“She ended up driving to Newtownards to get tested and it came back the next day positive. I nearly collapsed.”
Patricia then started to experience mild symptoms and was tested by a team who visited the Dunmurry home.
“I then started to feel sick and when they came to Brooklands and tested every care assistant in the home, my test result came back positive but Chloe’s came back negative so she has come through it.
“I had a high temperature and sore throat. I also felt sick due to the nausea.
“I still don’t feel normal or anything like myself.”
Patricia has one bit of key advice for the public – stay at home.
“My advice to people is stay at home. We are not over this pandemic yet.
“It is the worst thing I have ever seen in all my years working in care.
“I am hoping and praying that our residents and staff who are sick all come through this too.
“Staff are worried and stressed. There needs to be some help for us when this is all over.”
