YOUNG COUPLE ROCKED BY COVID-19
COVID-19 does not discriminate when it comes to age and is not just an old person’s disease.
That’s the message from otherwise healthy 26-year-old Sam Martin, who grew up in Bellbrae and lives in Melbourne, where he is still sick with COVID-19 more than a month after being diagnosed.
After developing a runny nose one afternoon, Mr Martin got tested and went home.
The next day he got the call to say he was positive.
Mr Martin doesn’t know how he contracted it.
“Over the next 24 hours I started developing flu-like symptoms — aches, pains and chills — and deteriorated from there,” he said.
His symptoms worsened over the next few days. His temperature shot up to almost 40 degrees and he started to experience shortness of breath.
Six days after diagnosis, he was hospitalised and received oxygen therapy.
As Mr Martin lay in hospital, his partner, Sarah Robson, was also diagnosed with COVID-19 and hospitalised a few days later.
“I had to isolate from Sarah while at home and then I was sent to hospital where I couldn’t see her or any members of my family,” he said.
The pair work as nurses and midwives, although Mr Martin was not seeing patients at the time.
“When you test positive, you’re on your own,” Mr Martin said.
“My medical background helped me to understand my condition and allay my fears, but I feel so bad for other people who have to lie in hospital all alone not knowing what’s going to happen.”
He still hasn’t recovered and is taking things day by day. He gets breathless if he’s talking on the phone for too long and can only stand for short periods.
Ms Robson also isn’t well. Despite feeling better at one point, she then deteriorated and was close to being hospitalised again.
“This disease affects all ages, fitness levels and health conditions,” Mr Martin said.
“You’re never going to know which person is going to become really unwell. Please do the right thing and abide by all the rules.
“When they say get tested if you have any symptoms, no matter how mild, they really, really mean it. And when you do get tested, go straight home.”