LUKE MARSDEN: my festive second dose of Covid

Like my own festive nativity scene, I will be allowed freedom on Christmas Day.

My tale doesn’t involve three wise men or a donkey mine involves the most unwelcome present of them all: Covid-19.

At the start of last week my man-flu symptoms worsened and what I thought was just a very bad cold was in fact an early Christmas gift from the latest variant of coronavirus, Omicron.

I started this year with Covid working its way through my body and I will end the year in the exact same place. My recent holiday, the summer, all but a distant, virus-free blur.

In an ironic twist, as my text came in confirming what the multiple lateral flows told me hours earlier, another positive pinged into my messages.

A text to inform me I can now book my booster jab. Well no, I obviously now cannot do that until well into the New Year but how thoughtful of the NHS to let me know.

I’m lucky as I live alone so have only myself (and Alexa) to hear me moan about my isolation period but also, I know a thing or two about being trapped in a house. I think I wrote the exact same line the first time around back in January.

My symptoms have been mild compared to my last battle with the virus. My breathing has remained the same, my taste and smell are still intact.

If I wasn’t feeling the festive cheer beforehand, I certainly am now. I’ll be raising a glass of champagne on Christmas Day to everyone who has dealt with this wretched virus and, like my mum and sister, all our NHS and frontline heroes. I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!

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