One of our core values at SC FIT is doing the right thing regardless of who is around or how difficult it might be. That could be translated into living and acting with integrity. But how does this link with COVID?
On Sunday I got a positive COVID test and am now self-isolating for the mandatory 10 days. These 10 days basically serve to extend the isolation that we were going through based on our son, Hayden, testing positive the week before after contracting COVID at nursery.
We know that we are not the only family going through something like this, but hopefully this story can highlight two things.
Our unique position is that we’ve been at home for nearly 2 weeks now before my test came back positive after showing symptoms but Gem took a test at the same time after being at home for the same amount of time but tested negative.
Since we’ve been in isolation we’ve been in contact with Hayden the same amount, so why did we get different results?
Gem is a physiotherapist and as such is classed as a frontline healthcare worker, so she had her first vaccination as soon as she could (which was 4 weeks ago). It could reasonably be assumed that vaccinations confer at least some immunity to coronavirus (even if she has had a cough for the same amount of time that I have).
But how does this link to doing the right thing?
A few weeks ago I was offered the opportunity to be a part of a vaccine study that is examining immune responses to different vaccine doses, but because I was totally open and honest about having psoriasis during the pre-screening I was subsequently removed from the study. I was removed from the study before having a vaccine, yet despite managing my condition without any medications for over 10 years now I wasn’t allowed to have a vaccine.
Answering honestly was never in doubt, even if now we have to live with both the consequences of an extension to our isolation and the impact of COVID on my personal health.
Our values are what define us and we will stick by them regardless.