Ricky & Sally

Ricky and Sally are a married couple who live with their four children (a 3 year old, 2 year old and 17 week old twins). Ricky and Sally’s household became affected by Covid in 2021 when Sally tested positive. Despite, also feeling unwell Ricky continuously tested negative. However, Ricky now experiences a distortion to his taste and smell.

Ricky and Sally are a married couple whose household was affected by Covid in 2021. Sally became aware that she had Covid when she began to experience cold symptoms and decided to test as a precaution before her aunt who had an upcoming surgery visited. The lateral flow test confirmed that Sally was positive for Covid. Her symptoms included losing her sense of smell which she has thankfully now regained. Despite also feeling unwell Ricky continuously tested negative for Covid. The couple decided to not get PCR tests due to how difficult it would be to get their family of six (two adults and four children) to the testing centre. They had previously found it difficult when they had to get their 2-year old tested. Therefore, the family decided to isolate without getting PCR tests.

Although Ricky tested negative using lateral flow tests, 2-3 weeks after initially feeling unwell he began to experience a distortion in his sense of smell and taste. Even though Ricky does not smoke nor like the smell of cigarettes he now gets the overwhelming smell and taste of smoke and cigarettes. Ricky now uses Vicks to help distract his brain from the smell. At the time of interview, this symptom was still ongoing.

The couple also had trouble getting doctors; appointments for their children during the pandemic. Sally and Ricky recount having to manage their daughter’s sporadic fever and rash at home as she would often get better before they could get an appointment. Their daughter’s fever and rash began at the same time as Sally’s Covid infection, yet the couple acknowledges they are unsure if it is related and what is causing these episodes.

While Ricky and Sally stopped attending play barns and other group areas for young children because of the spread of germs they have now decided to return, saying we started doing that again because I just think the detrimental effect on little ones and not be able to, like we went back to toddler groups for the first time this week

Robert describes trying to make sense of very faint or strange and unpleasant tastes and smells that have begun to come back. Whisky, white bread and hand sanitiser smell the same to him now. He doesn’t feel “quite in tune with everything”.

Age at interview 40

Ricky: You were feeling a bit unwell. But not, nothing, we didn't think for a second it was Covid. It was just obviously we got four young kids, so we just thought it was a cold. But because her auntie was coming across, she got tested because she had an operation planned and if you don’t get tested and then go into hospital, obviously, we didn't wanna be responsible for her not being able to have the operation.

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Robert had not experienced any significant improvement to his sense of taste and smell. He finds it difficult to deal with the uncertainty of whether his sense of smell and taste will return to normal.

Age at interview 40

Sally: Well, what I’m so relieved about is, in the past I’ve been really worried about infecting my mum and getting with her being really ill because obviously she’s in her late 70s and in that vulnerable. But the fact that she’d been double vaccinated and then caught it off me and had a mild version, makes you feel a lot better, actually that those sort of vaccines to that point did work. To the extent that it’s you know, you don’t have to stop your mum seeing your kids because you’re worried about them, you know, we have a bit more confidence in, in that, so long may that continue.

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