Gardaí, students, hospital porters, and doctors share their Covid stories one year later

With hope on the horizon from the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines, Maresa Fagan and Joyce Fegan talk to health care workers, frontline workers
and a student about a year that no one will ever forget.

THE FUNERAL DIRECTOR - "If the last year has taught us anything it is not to plan too far ahead."

DONAL Forde is the director of Forde Funeral Homes. He says that the pandemic has been particularly hard on the bereaved, but there have also been positives in the midst of pain.

“Looking back to last year is like looking back to the summers of your childhood — everything seemed to be brighter and better, but for people who needed our services it was probably still a dark and difficult time.

“Last year, the first thing we could do when we met a bereaved family was to shake hands both as a greeting and an expression of sympathy. We could sit with the whole family in a room and speak about the funeral arrangements. 

"At that time a lot of funerals were conducted over three days, a rosary or viewing on one evening, a removal to church on the second evening and the funeral on the third day.

“Fast-forward to April 2020, and from the introduction lockdown number one, the guidelines restricted how we engaged with and supported the bereaved. A lot of the funeral arrangements had to be organised over the phone and by email as face-to-face contact was discouraged. We could no longer advertise funeral arrangements and the number of people allowed to attend services were limited.

“Removals to the church the evening before the funeral were stopped and replaced with a reposing in the funeral home the evening before and reception into the church on the day of the funeral.” The restrictions have been very hard on families, Donal admits.

“Having to cope with the death of a loved one is always difficult. The necessary restrictions imposed in response to the pandemic have been particularly hard on the bereaved. Traditionally, their pain was eased to some extent by the support offered by relatives, friends and neighbours attending the funeral services.

“Now the experience is lonelier for the bereaved. The restrictions stop people from coming together to offer support.

“It is sad and lonely to see a family say goodbye to each other as they leave the cemetery or crematorium and go their separate ways after the funeral. One of the most challenging aspects for families is deciding who will attend the funeral in order to comply with the limit on the numbers. By and large people have come to accept that these restrictions are necessary.”

But despite everything, there have been positives.

“The live streaming of services has been a welcome development. Knowing that relations and friends can view the funeral provides families with some comfort.

“It is also heartening to see that, despite the restrictions, people still find ways to connect with and support the bereaved such as standing outside the church, stopping on the roads or streets as the funeral cortege passes and signing the online book of condolences, all of which I think will continue when the pandemic is over.

“Once the vaccines have been rolled out, I most look forward to the easing up of restrictions and families having the freedom to grieve in the way they choose to do so. If the last year has taught us anything it is not to plan too far ahead. However, we live in hope. Spring is here and we have to look forward to summer and whatever it may bring.”

THE COVID PATIENT - "I’m learning how to dance with it.”

FOUR months since testing positive for Covid-19, secondary school teacher Patricia Caballero Molina is still living with the after-effects of the virus every day and believes greater empathy and recognition of “long Covid” is needed.

The 40-year-old, who lives in Myrtleville, Co Cork with husband Eoin McCarthy and daughters Elena and Alma, has had an unlucky run with Covid-19 having picked up the virus in March last year and then again in October.

It was the second bout of Covid that really knocked Ms Caballero Molina, who works as a substitute teacher of Spanish and science at Bandon Grammar School. The source of infection remains a mystery.

“I don’t really know how I got the virus. We didn’t have any outbreaks at our school. There was an outbreak at my daughter’s school so it could have come from there or from shopping or getting petrol.”

Soon after Patricia developed typical Covid symptoms (cough, headache and sore throat) and later tested positive.

Since then the effects of the viral infection have persisted and she has not been able to return to work as she still experiences memory problems, brain fog, and headaches.

“I don’t think I am over it at all. There are days when I am better and days when I am worse. I’ve not been well since,” she said.

It has affected my memory and ability to recall things. I find that I can picture what I want to say but cannot express it. I am not driving because I do not trust myself at the moment.

While she counts herself lucky that she didn’t become seriously ill or hospitalised by the virus, the uncertainty surrounding long-Covid remains a challenge.

Unable to access a specialist ‘long-Covid’ clinic at Cork University Hospital to date, she said her GP has been very supportive but there is still a lot that doctors do not know about the virus yet.

“They don’t know and we can’t blame them for that. Nobody knows; This is completely new for everyone,” she said.

At the same time, she said that it was not anxiety or depression that she was experiencing and that the long-term effects of the virus were real and greater empathy must be shown to patients with long-Covid.

“Believe us. We’re not crazy. We’re not making this up or looking for attention. This is not a holiday. It can be very upsetting,” she said.

Despite the ongoing symptoms, she is hopeful of returning to work in the coming months: “At the moment I don’t feel my body would be able to cope and I’m afraid I might relapse again but I am hoping to go back this academic year.”

She would also like to get the vaccine so that she could visit her family in Madrid, who she hasn’t seen for more than a year. For the moment though the mother-of-two is adapting to her new normal of living with long Covid.

“It’s like getting to know a really bad dance partner so at the moment I’m learning how to dance with it.”

• For more information on the Long Covid support group see www.covidcasesireland.ie

THE HOME WORKER - "How we will work post pandemic has changed forever, and for the better."

VODAFONE Ireland head of people development and operations Julie Mernagh had a six-month-old baby when the pandemic hit.

When her maternity leave finished she joined Vodafone, to start a new job, remotely.

While the extra family time has been a huge bonus with the lack of commute, juggling childcare while working from home has proved a challenge.

“I count myself lucky during the first lockdown, as I was still on maternity leave with my daughter Katie, now 18 months, and my husband, who works in construction, was on temporary leave.

“Although we didn’t get to see our families, who are both in Wexford, and it was a stressful time worrying about loved ones, we got to spend some special quality time together with our daughter.

“I joined Vodafone in the midst of the pandemic and from maternity leave, so everything felt new. But the care and support shown by my colleagues made the transition so much smoother than expected.

“The key adjustment was how to build relationships and my network across Vodafone, where I’ve had to intentionally create those opportunities through one-to-one sessions, replacing those watercooler moments that naturally happen while in the office.”

Julie thinks the pandemic has changed the way we work forever. “I’ve always appreciated flexibility from my employer, and was one of the key reasons why I joined Vodafone, but I never imagined working from home full-time as I love being around people.

“I think the experience over the past year has challenged many misconceptions around remote working such as the loss of productivity, and the impact on company connection and culture.

How we will work post pandemic has changed forever, and for the better. 

“I’ve definitely appreciated having additional reflection and focus time, particularly as a new joiner when trying to figure out a new role.

“I’ve also valued being able to balance my home and work life, and no commute is definitely a bonus.

"Juggling childcare has been challenge, but thankfully I’ve had the flexibility to adjust my working day to what works for me and my husband."

But she has also focussed on her wellbeing.

“Focusing on my wellbeing has never been more important, particularly as I’m spending most of my week working and living in my front sitting room. Small changes, such as blocking out time in my diary for breaks and listening to a great book or calling a friend while out for a walk in the evening, have had a huge impact.

“Vodafone is moving to a hybrid model post-pandemic where we will spend broadly 60% of our time remotely and 40% in the office, and this clarity is giving us something to look forward to.

“Personally, this will allow me to keep the benefits I’ve enjoyed while working remotely, but it will also allow me to come together regularly with my colleagues, which we’ve all been missing the past year.”

THE PORTER - "There are still people out there taking silly risks."

THE past two months have been the toughest part of Covid-19 for Johann Hickey, a porter at the emergency department of Cork University Hospital.

The third wave of infections has put frontline staff and services under immense pressure since Christmas and he also suffered a personal bereavement due to Covid-19.

In the early stages of the pandemic, the emergency department was quiet with just six patients being treated at times, as the health service braced
itself for a possible surge in Covid-19 admissions.

Johann said the worst came after Christmas: “This time last year when it first started, it was new and it was scary. We were seeing the pictures coming from China and from Italy. And we were dreading the worst but it never really hit; we never got the numbers we were expecting.

“We were waiting for the wave to break on us and that didn’t happen until the third wave that broke in December and January, which is really testing us now,” he said.

The small team of portering staff at the emergency department has since seen a big increase in the volume of patients attending, as well as significant staff absences from Covid-19, which only served to compound the challenges they faced.

“From December to January, there were over 30 portering staff out across the hospital with Covid or were isolating because of Covid,” Johann said.

A year into the pandemic, Johann said staff are better prepared but that the fear of contracting the virus or bringing it home remains: “We have more faith in the PPE provided and how it works but we still have that fear; it never leaves.”

However, he expressed his frustration, over the risks some people were continuing to take by holding or attending house parties or social gatherings on any scale.

Many young people in their teens or early 20s felt they were “invincible” and continued to socialise and house parties were “more common” than people would like to admit, he said, adding that other social ventures were equally as frustrating.

“Hearing anecdotes that someone has driven 40 miles to go for a walk on the beach. I would love to do that as much as anybody else, but I know I can’t, so I won’t. That frustrates and maddens me,” Johann said.

“It’s been a year and some people are still not looking after themselves. There are still people out there taking silly risks,” he said.

His frustration stems from seeing firsthand the toll that Covid-19 can take on both, young and old.

In this wave, the average age has dropped and is a lot younger. In the beginning it was elderly patients but now we are seeing a lot of people in their 20s and 30s who have had Covid.

While infection rates and fatalities are falling slowly, Johann fears that the country could face a fourth wave in the months ahead.

Despite knowing that the virus is not yet under control, he remains hopeful that some measure of normality, without rolling lockdowns, will return by next year.

“If the worst-case scenario is that we have to repeat the vaccine every year I’d be happy with that.”

THE INFECTIOUS DISEASE EXPERT - “Wearing masks and social distancing will be part of our lives for quite a while yet."

ONE year into the Covid-19 pandemic, Professor Mary Horgan, an infectious disease consultant at Cork University Hospital and president of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, said there will be gains from the hard work and sacrifices made during what was an exhausting and “rollercoaster” year.

Last spring, Ireland was grappling with a new and unknown biological threat where key concerns were personal protective equipment (PPE), ventilators,
and treatments, as the world watched in horror as Covid-19 overwhelmed hospitals in Italy leading to significant loss of life. Twelve months on, and while the country remains in lockdown, it is facing into a “spring of hope” as Covid-19 vaccines are rolled out and infection rates show signs of abating.

“It’s been a rollercoaster year but hopefully we’re at the tail end of the third wave. Our knowledge of the virus has improved hugely since this time last year,” said Prof. Horgan.

“We’ve gone from having very little knowledge to where we are now, knowing how to treat patients better, even though we don’t have a cure, and also having vaccines,” she said.

The approval of vaccines before Christmas, she said, helped staff on the frontline to keep going through the third Covid-19 wave which was the worst experienced since the pandemic took hold.

“If we hadn’t had a vaccine available, coming into that third wave would’ve been absolutely dismal,” Mary said.

“In late December into January it was really tough going. The fact that there was a vaccine that worked made a huge difference psychologically.”

The third wave did put services under pressure but a “team spirit” and the experience of the past year helped staff to overcome challenges. As a frontline doctor, she hopes some of the positive changes can be maintained.

“It has brought some positive changes to our health service that would otherwise have taken a long time to introduce but because of the urgency were brought in very quickly,” she said, noting the introduction of telemedicine and off-site clinics.

“Everything happened really quickly and we had huge support from the leadership within the HSE to allow that and that’s something that I hope will continue long-term,” she said.

The CUH specialist said the priority was to restore non-Covid health services and reopen schools but that public health restrictions are unlikely to be lifted any time soon. “Wearing masks and social distancing will be part of our lives for quite a while yet,” she said.

“The vaccines provide a message of hope. People will be able to look forward to going on a staycation and if they hold tight for the next few months we’ll be in a much better place by the time the summer comes,” she said.

While the vaccination programme brought hope this year, Professor Horgan said we are likely to be still living with Covid-19 for sometime.

Looking to next year, she said: “My hope is that we will be at a low level of infection, schools will be open and people will be back in the workplace and we will not have these rolling lockdowns.”

The scientific and medical knowledge gained in the past year, she said, will also pay dividends for some time to come.

“There will be knock-on benefits from the science and research that has happened over the past year.”

THE STUDENT - "I miss being able to meet up with other young people like myself."

THIS year has easily been the strangest of Tammy Whelan’s life.

When schools closed in March 2020, she believed it was for just two weeks.

“I never could have envisioned how drastically my life would change over the coming year.

“I used to worry about what myself and my friends would have planned for the weekend, but now I’m worried about being a 6th year student during a pandemic. It’s certainly been a change of events.

“I never would have imagined spending both 5th and 6th year studying online. I had always hoped for a normal school experience. I find studying online very strange, I love having the independence of deciding when I want to do my class work, but I’m really struggling with being isolated from my friends.

“Luckily, I have a quiet place to study and good internet. I’ve become so used to doing my classes at home that I’m starting to become nervous about going back to school. School has become so drastically different that it’s hard to imagine what it was like just this time last year. The thought of not wearing a mask and socially distancing is becoming a very distant memory.”

However, as well as the challenges, being online has also provided opportunities.

“I’ve had so many amazing opportunities arise that I never would’ve had the chance to partake in if they weren’t online, I’ve become very involved with the Irish Second Level Students Union by being elected as a Waterford regional officer, these amazing opportunities have kept me positive throughout this very uncertain year.

“I miss being able to meet up with other young people like myself who really want to get busy and make a difference, it’s very difficult being unable to see my friends and work on projects due to travel bans.

“I’m so grateful to still be able to get our work done online while staying at home. I’m so excited to meet up with my friends once it’s safe, it’s hard to think that I’ve known some of them for a year now and have never met them in person.” 

But Covid is also having an impact on Tammy mentally.

“The school closures last year were heavily focused on the Leaving Cert class of 2020, I knew that this would have a knock-on effect on my exams, but I never thought that it would be this detrimental. 

The stress and uncertainty surrounding my education is having a huge impact on my mental health.

“I feel that my year in particular really missed out so many experiences in secondary school. We missed three months of school last year, being left to the side while there was debate over last year’s Leaving Certificate.

“I still find myself trying to teach myself 5th year content because of how little we knew about online school last year. I was really certain that my Leaving Cert would happen relatively normally, but after missing another six weeks of valuable in-person class time in 6th year, I’m really worried about whether my results will be good enough to get to university.

“I just hope that this year will play out better than the last, and that we all stay safe and healthy.”

THE GARDA - "Behind every cloud is a silver lining."

Before the pandemic hit, Sergeant Angela Cummins, led an already busy life that was carefully managed between six 10-hour shifts and three primary school-aged children, and various ports of call when it came to childcare.

Then last March, she found herself both out on the frontline with homeschooling to contend with and no more childcare.

"My work as part of the Community Engagement Unit in Sligo meant I went from a roster involving six 10-hour shifts to two day and two night, or four 12-hour shifts. My husband is an essential worker in retail, so we split homeschooling, and we couldn't rely on my mother and father, and my childminder had to mind her own children, so home schooling was difficult. You were going into work under higher alert, but you were also thinking about what's going on at home.

"I knew this was an unprecedented emergency public health situation and this had to be done to keep people safe and I was more than happy to play my part as were all my garda colleagues.

"The most visible policing response to the pandemic was the introduction of Covid-19 garda checkpoints that involve asking people where they were coming from and where they were going to. All uniform gardaí play their role in conducting these checkpoints, and I was regularly assisting my colleagues performing such duty.

It took a lot of resilience for myself and my colleagues to adapt to this policing response, using the 4 Es approach for each interaction with members of the public - engage, explain, encourage and as a last resort enforce.

Despite the health risks, Angela says there's a job to be done.

"I suppose all through this Covid pandemic, it is always to the fore of your thinking the public health risk you place yourself under doing your job every day. Fortunately, I am in good health and I have to brush any fears aside and take the necessary precautions as I took an oath when I was attested into An Garda Síochána to protect life and property.

"Family members are constantly worrying about you and like everyone else I minimise my contact with my parents and my mother-in-law who lives close by. Upon return from duty home, I would change out of my work uniform in the utility room and place these clothes directly into the washing machine and go have a shower.

"From a professional point of view, when a member of the community invites you into their home, I have never refused prior to March 2020. I take it as a privilege being asked as a guard into a person’s home.

"Older people by their respectful nature have continued to invite you into their home when doing a welfare call or dropping provisions. It is really hard not being able to accept this kind offer but the risks are too high."

While the pandemic has been hard on everyone, there have been some positives.

"Behind every cloud is a silver lining. As the pace of life has slowed down, storytelling at the front doors of houses has increased. Yarns of old, tales of retired guards from our garda station, proud narration of sons and daughters and the lives they lead along with general melancholy of life before Covid have given me a greater appreciation of the meaning of community-oriented policing in my 25th year of service in An Garda Síochána.

"I have achieved a feel-good factor from the work I have done since Covid 19 landed into this country and I know all my colleagues feel the same."