Well, I wasn’t expecting this. Despite having three doses of Covid vaccine in the last 9 months, and acting with great caution over the last year and more, I have tested positive for Coronavirus. Three Lateral Flow tests all revealed both red lines, something we had not seen in nearly 9 months of taking tests as a family. My children have taken at least two per week since March, a condition of returning to school. My wife and I have not taken so many, but both tests I took in the week before the positive result (on Thursday 16th and Saturday 18th December) came up negative.

Here’s an example of how cautious I have been. As noted here, I have very recently started playing football on a Friday evening with a bunch of guys most of whom are around my age. Last Friday they organized a pre-Christmas drink followed by a meal over the road at an Indian restaurant. I joined them for the first part of the evening and wore my mask when entering the pub, and when stood near the bar. The turn-out wasn’t great, just five of us showed up, and I didn’t wear a mask when we were sat at a newly-vacated table, more than 2 metres away from the other pub-goers. Four of us went to the restaurant. I decided to join the others because the place was nearly empty (one other table of diners, they left within 15 minutes). I had pictured a busy, poorly ventilated room, but we had the place to ourselves and were sat near the door. Everyone else who was there has since tested negative, so I clearly didn’t contract the virus from any of them, and they didn’t get it from me.

All of this has rather disrupted our not-very-significant Christmas plans. My contact with other people in the 10 days before my positive tests was minimal. I have been able to contact everyone I saw and confirm that they have all tested negative. My wife and children have also tested negative on each of the last three days. We sent off PCR samples yesterday and the results should confirm the accuracy of the Lateral Flow tests that we have all been taking.

My symptoms have so far been mild, like having “a bit of a cold”, and a sore throat for a couple of days. I hope it continues that way. It’s Christmas Eve, Day 3 of my best efforts at self-isolation. Midnight approaches, the start of a four-day weekend. By the time the shops and banks have reopened I should be allowed out again.