Maternity Worker Praises Colleagues at Royal Surrey For Care When She Had Coronavirus

Published on: 22 May, 2020
Updated on: 24 May, 2020

A NHS worker has praised her colleagues at Royal Surrey for the care they gave her when she was diagnosed with coronavirus.

Kelly, 41, of Guildford, a maternity transitional care support worker, has praised her colleagues at Royal Surrey for the care they gave her when she was diagnosed with coronavirus.

She began to feel unwell in March before the full extent of the pandemic was realised.

Kelly, her partner Kryan, and her daughters Molly, Sofia and Isabella (L-R)

The mother of three who suffers from asthma, said the first indication was a headache and a feeling of confusion. This soon increased and Kelly developed a very high temperature and shortness of breath.

“I was completely drained and very scared,” she said. “I felt exhausted just getting up to visit the bathroom and I felt as if I was going to stop breathing and take my last breath.”

Kelly went to the Royal Surrey and her tests and scans came back positive for coronavirus.

“The organisation of the Emergency Department was outstanding,” Kelly said. “Everyone knew their role, and everyone was looking out for one another.

“Everything was done very efficiently and was explained to me thoroughly. I felt very cared for.

“The Emergency Department consultant who cared for me even called the next day to check on me.”

She spent three weeks in isolation at home with her husband and their three daughters.

And Kelly has advice for those who may think they have symptoms. “If you have trouble breathing, try not to worry because this makes your heart race and breathing worse. Keep calm and seek medical assistance,” she said.

“It is so important to give yourself time to recover afterwards and not to pressure yourself to get back to normal too quickly – it may be a while before you can do everything you did before.”

Dr Monica Minardi, consultant and clinical lead for the Emergency Department, said; “The Department is here for everyone who feels they need urgent treatment and people should not be reluctant to come to us because of Covid-19.

“The department is well-prepared, and everything is planned to protect people and staff from infection.”

Kelly has now fully recovered and is back full-time in her role as a maternity transitional care support worker at the Trust.