Gulsoom remembers the first lockdown in the UK. She says she felt ‘scared’ because she did not know what was happening. However, through her job in the community, she had the opportunity to learn more about Covid. She remembers going to a park to share the information she had learnt. She gave people hand sanitisers and face-masks and explained the importance of staying at home. As time went on, she did not think much about Covid. As she puts it, “I didn’t know anyone close to me that had Covid. I didn’t hear anyone in the nearby neighbourhood that had passed away with Covid.”

Eventually, Gulsoom started hearing about people in her personal network who had Covid. She thought, “there must be some truth behind this because I know so many people now that are actually getting Covid.” When she heard about the large number of people dying from Covid, Gulsoom felt alarm bells ringing in her head. She also says that the pandemic became more real when her grandmother’s brother passed away in April 2020 from Covid.

When lockdown eased in June 2020, Gulsoom felt like life had become more normal. However, her father then started getting ill with cold and flu symptoms, and within the space of two weeks, started deteriorating. Gulsoom struggled to get medical support at first, but eventually got advice that her father must be rushed to the hospital. She said this was a sad moment because she could not go into the hospital with him due to government restrictions. Her father was also saying things like, “I want my children to come with me, I’m scared,” which made her worry even more. Gulsoom felt like this could be the last time she saw her father, because of rumours that people who went into the hospital with Covid were not likely to survive.

Gulsoom was allowed to see her father when he was put into an induced coma. She felt that her father would pass away, but her family had much more hope that he would survive because he was relatively young and healthy. When the nurses explained that her father was experiencing organ failure, her family accepted that he was going to pass away. However, they were also confused because Gulsoom’s father had detoriated so quickly.

Sixteen of Gulsoom’s family members have had Covid, and she says their symptoms were all quite different. Her main symptoms was fatigue. As she puts it, “I was doing something, and after ten minutes, my energy levels would just go. I would be so fatigued.” She says she also lost her self-esteem and confidence, as her symptoms lasted for about three or four months.

She says that her family need a lot of support going forward to cope with the trauma they experienced related to Covid. She would like there to be more support available to grieving families, and for hospitals to reconfigure rules around visitors for patients at the end of life. She also thinks that more effort needs to be made to explain why vaccination is important to some members of the community.