53BloombergBusinessweek November16, 2020
Jenny
45
OXFORD,
ENGLAND
Theprimaryschoolteacherdidn’thavetheluxuryofworkingfromhomewhentheU.K.went
intolockdowninMarch.Jenny,whoaskedthatherfullnamenotbepublishedbecauseit
mightaffectheremploymentprospects,didn’ttakemuchnoticewhenshebeganexperienc-
ingflu-likesymptomsinApril,thinkingshewasjustrun-downfromherjob.Sevenmonths
laterthemotherofthreehasquitteachingandis stillbattlingtofeelnormal.Inearly Maytheysentmetothe hospitaltoget a chestX-ray. I couldhearall these
people in the ward saying, “I’m on Week 8, I’m on Week 9.” I was on Week 6 at that
point.IntoJuneit feltlikethesymptomswerealmostcominginwavesandhavinga little
cyclethrough.SoI mighthavea weekofa really,reallysorethroat,ora weekofa killer
headache.Slowly I started to feel a bitstronger. I was awakelonger and functioning in
the morning, getting the kids doing home-schooling. But then I would just crash after
lunch.Myyoungestchildspenthours andhours buildingLego andwatchingTV. It
was particularly hard in the middle of lockdown because it felt like all your support
networks were taken away. Normally if you’re ill, your friend might say, “Oh, I’ll pick
yourchildupfromschool,andtheycancomeroundfora play.”Ormymumwouldhave
said,“Theycouldcometominefora sleepover.”Butallof thatwasgone. Obviously
it’s a difficult time not to be in work, but I just thought, “I’ve got to give my body a chance
to recover.” Teaching is a very physical job. If I was teaching now, I’d be on my feet and
using my lungs all day. My main symptom now is this pain in my chest, and it’s really
tiring. I just don’t know what it is, and no one else does, either. (Following this interview,
Jenny learned the disease has impaired her heart function.) �As told to Suzi Ring
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