Coronavirus is akin to playing the wheel of fortune. Some are lucky, and escape unscathed. Others fall prey to its deadly consequences.
The Thomas family are a close unit, who’ve been living in the same household during the coronavirus pandemic.
There’s businessman Rob Thomas, 59, and his wife Viv, 61.
Then there’s their grown-up children, son Daniel, 35, and daughter Selina, 32.
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They’re both in the family business together – running property company Thomas and Thomas.
And then there’s the youngest, Blake, 27, and his girlfriend Hannah, 29, who has been staying with the Thomas household.
The family had noticed that Rob hadn’t been himself for nearly two weeks; Rob had felt that something was off too.
On March 30, Rob had “an episode” similar to a mini-fit.
He started to shiver uncontrollably and struggled to breathe.
“It was really bizarre. There was no cough, no sore throat, nothing like that. I was just out of it,” said Rob.
Alarmed, the family dialled 999. But he was sent home that same afternoon with antibiotics and advised to take paracetamol.
Yet, only a few days later, his temperature had reached 44 degrees Celsius.
Rob was once agains whisked off to hospital.
Upon arrival, he was tested for COVID-19 and the results came back positive.
Placed in the intensive care unit for eight days, Rob was finally discharged from hospital a further 10 days later.
Anxious about Rob’s health, and for their own, Viv admits to “living day to day”.
“I had what felt like a really bad cold with a little bit of a cough but no temperature.
“It wasn’t a continuous cough and only lasted a few days,” said Viv.
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Daughter Selina wasn’t immune from the side effects of the virus.
“For me, it felt a bit like a cold. I felt under the weather and lethargic.
“I had a headache and was a tiny bit chesty but not really coughing.
“I still don’t know if it was the virus or the stress and lack of sleep.”
Hannah had lost her sense of smell and taste, but didn’t have a cough or temperature.
“I admit to being a bit blasè about COVID-19,” she said.
But after her boyfriend’s father came down with the illness, her perspective changed.
“When it hits so close to home, it suddenly becomes very real.”
Boyfriend Blake, the son of Rob, also suffered emotionally.
“When Dad went off in the ambulance, I honestly thought I’d never see him again.
“To say I was distraught, would be an understatement. I felt lost and helpless.
“Our true heroes is everybody at the NHS. I honestly can’t thank them enough for saving our Dads life! I will forever be in debt to them!”
Not the only worried one, Dan confessed: “The last two weeks have been nothing but a nightmare.”
Although he didn’t suffer any physical symptoms from the virus, he has faced emotional turmoil.
“If it’s taught me anything, it’s taught me that business worry and the restraints of a lockdown are immaterial.
“It’s the doctors and nurses. They have saved [my dad’s] life. I will be forever grateful to NHS Gloucestershire.”
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