ABOVE: Justin Jansen with his children before he contracted covid. Photo: Contributed
Susanna Freymark
It started on January 8 with a bit of a cough, runny nose and scratchy throat.
Justin Jansen’s body began to ache and he couldn’t smell or taste anything. He ended up in Casino Hospital in isolation and on a drip.
The PCR test showed he had covid, most likely Delta given the impact on his taste and smell.
“I was dehydrated, vomiting and I had diarrhoea,” Justin said from his home in Casino.
He was in hospital for four days and then went home to recover.
Eight days later he is still not well enough to go back to work as a tree lopper.
Justin has constant fatigue and his body still aches.
“I’m usually an outdoorsy person. I should be sleeping in a swag in the bush out Drake way for work,” he said.
Justin is trying to keep busy at home but the fatigue is difficult.
And not seeing his children is especially hard.
“I usually see the kids on the weekend,” he said.
“My three-year-old daughter doesn’t understand that Daddy is sick.”
Justin lives alone and he’s finding it tough. He had no time to prepare and stock his pantry for his time at home with covid.
“I just want to go out and sit in the sun,” he said.
He was starting to stress too, he said.
“As an occasional worker I have no sick days and money is dwindling.”
Despite his difficulties Justin said he was lucky.
It would be a nightmare if you were a single parent or an elderly person, he said.
“I’m pretty lucky. It’s just me.”
He’s almost at the end of his isolation time. As a fit and healthy 34-year-old who is double vaccinated, Justin said he knows he could still get Omicron.
“Covid is like the man flu times 10.”
after contracting covid. Photos: Contributed
and then