How thousands of NHS Test and Trace workers are here

listen to her. I told her of course it was OK that the whole family wasn’t having proper meals – and that just grabbing something to keep them going was just fine.

“So not only am I there to talk symptoms and advice on the medical side, but also the mental side too – offering emotional support.

“And then there is letting them know about the practical support that is out there too – like whether the council can help with the grocery shop.” up a support group and gathered a group of friends to create a new food bank. Now May, 54, from Hampshire, is working as a contact tracer.

“One of my first questions is to find out how they are. Really, how are they?” says May. “If they’ve tested positive it’s quite a scary time and quite often they’re really pleased that someone’s asking about them and their symptoms. I quite often say to people, ‘Please don’t be worried’. They’re not in trouble at all and it’s really important to identify the people that may have been put at risk during the time when they’ve just been carrying out their day to day life.”

May is able to give advice on how to manage symptoms and what to do after receiving a positive test result – and she’ll also help people retrace their steps to find out who they’ve been in contact with.

“One of my first cases was to contact an elderly gentleman who had tested positive whilst going through screening ahead of his cancer surgery. He was naturally incredibly worried that he had tested positive and that this meant a delay to his