24 July 2021

 

Positive. Not the result you're hoping for when you've had a swab piercing the inner recesses of your brain through your nostril. Our radio silence started with Kirsty and her family getting sick in the Cape. We felt powerless to help, so far away from them. Covid-19 as a virus is a vicious thing, but the true ugliness of Covid-19 rears its ugly head in the form of fear. Fear of the unknown. Fear of the known. Knowing about comorbidities and risk factors. Knowing that Covid totally disregards all this and leaves some unscathed while others have lost their lives. Juggling practicalities like medical aid and the effort involved in making sure everyone has access to medication becomes the forefront of the daily chores. 

 

News snippets of unrest brewing across the country began to surface. At the same time, my mom had been in contact with someone who had tested positive for Covid-19. We weren't too worried initially, as she'd had her mask on and was outdoors. We've done this quarantine thing a fair few times and my social butterfly mom took to the lounge with barely a mumble of complaint. A few days later, my mom started coughing. A rapid test at the doctor confirmed our worst fears: positive. By now the riots had started to spread countrywide, but that was nothing compared to the riot of fear in my chest. I have elderly parents with comorbidities. My scientific brain was expecting the worst while my heart of faith was praying for the best. Getting my dad tested was the next step and involved me driving him in full PPE to a drive-through testing station. Our entire family was now in quarantine after having been in contact with my parents. My dad's result came back positive and all we could do was pray and wait and see.

 

Days later, I felt a sore throat emerging and a headache that wouldn't quit. I immediately moved into the spare room to try and prevent Byron and Arienne from getting sick. Rapid test confirmed: Positive. Health wise, I'm young, I'm healthy, I've been vaccinated. The symptoms were really rather mild. Mentally, nothing could prepare me for being separated from all human contact for ten days. Byron brought all my meals to the spare room door and I sanitized the plates before he took them away again. I stayed in bed, used a separate bathroom, drank my meds and watched endless amounts of series to try and pass the time. My heart was wrenched from my chest when Arienne wanted to hug her Nana who had dropped off supplies for us and had to be stopped, for fear that she could infect Nana too. I spent time watching Arienne play outside on the CCTV. From my spare room prison I could hear Arienne attending her online school lessons and the neighbours receiving deliveries. Isolation is a very apt description. I now appreciate why limiting freedom is such an effective means of discipline.

 

Now, on my final day of isolation in the spare room, I can truly appreciate the things that kept me sane. First and foremost was the answer to prayer. Kirsty and family are okay. They still have residual symptoms, but are getting stronger every day. My parents survived! Not only did they survive, but they didn't require hospitalisation and their symptoms have mostly cleared up. Byron, Arienne and the Davels are all okay! No one else got sick, which is really an answer to prayer, as not everyone has been vaccinated yet. I am okay! I have friends who did not get off so lightly and struggled for months to get back to their usual functioning capacity. I plan to return to work on Monday with a new appreciation for the privilege of good health and access to the vaccine. 

 

My other lifeline through all this was an absolutely overwhelming sense of gratitude for the outpouring of love that my family was shown. Barely a day went by when we didn't receive a delivery of meals, treats and items to keep Arienne busy. Messages of love and support enveloped us, and while tears were shed at the gate from not being able to give physical hugs, the love washed over us in the form of cookies, meals, messages and calls. I am so blessed with such a vast network of humans who love us. I am, rarely as it might occur, lost for words to express what each person's kindness has meant to us.

 

Covid itself ranges from asymptomatic to death. The fear it carries, the isolation, the economic impact, the toll on mental health, the international regulations in place to contain its spread, have all had unprecedented consequences. Taking away personal liberties such as the consumption of alcohol and being in public after midnight, added to the hunger and loss of jobs, added to school closure and delays in service delivery contributed to an already volatile economic landscape. It only takes a spark to ignite discontent into riots and looting.

 

Access to food, which is something we all take for granted, can be taken away at a moment's notice. Supporting local small businesses is one way you can help to continue to provide food security, create jobs in your community and lower your carbon footprint. Growing whatever you can in the space you have will help reduce what you need to buy and surplus can be traded with your neighbours. This way we reduce transport needs to bring goods in from outlying areas and have no need for single use packaging. Choosing organic means that you prevent pesticides from leaching into the soil and preserving the precious natural resource which grows our food for future generations. Besides, if the need for pesticides could be eliminated, spillage resulting from rioter's arson on a  pesticide storage warehouse in KwaZulu Natal could have prevented the loss of wildlife killed in the lagoons and ocean.

 

At Rooted Herbivores, it's our goal to take the humble bread loaf and turn it into a symbol for appreciation of minimally processed goods, organic ingredients and support for local businesses. We want to bring high-quality handmade items to the community in a way that promotes regeneration of the earth's resources. With our five-man team emerging from quarantine this week, we can't wait to once again take your orders and provide freshly baked goods. As always, we will have every safety precaution in place and will do a thorough sanitation of our premises before orders go out. In this weather, be sure to get your warm bread orders in before our Thursday bake so that you can collect warmly baked goodness from our premises in Lyttelton for serving with a side of hearty soup.

 

Stay warm,

 

Claire,

Spare room prisoner

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