I locked myself in and got on with things

“To be honest, the last couple of years haven’t been too bad. Being clinically extremely vulnerable, I locked myself in at the start and got on with things. 

I wrote a couple of books and just accepted the situation. The only problem was cutting my hair, which I did myself – badly! 

I didn’t suffer from depression or anything like that. 

I’ve always tried to walk two miles a day, even in lockdown, but I have problems with my back as well as PH so it’s a bit of a hardship sometimes. 

I followed the shielding guidelines, but I wasn’t particularly worried [about contracting covid], nor am I now. Although when the lockdown eased and I went out a bit more, I was obviously careful and wore all the protective gear.

A major lesson to be learned [from the pandemic] is around communication. Communication between the medical world, the government, and shops, as initially, I found it impossible to get a home delivery of groceries. 

Although I live alone, I have a partner who was able to do the shopping for me instead and I live on a small lane in a small community, all of whom are middle class and old. We get on, we don’t live in each other’s pockets, but if I had a real problem they would help.

So, although I could cope [with the delivery issue] a person who is lonely would find that quite hard.

In terms of news reporting during the pandemic, I found the reporting in the newspapers I read to be very good, very fair, and very accurate. But I could understand people not being able to see the wood for the trees and getting quite worried.”

~Mike told his story to the PHA UK in the summer of 2022~