I have just turned 28 years old and have had to be signed off work all week because I haven’t regained full health after contracting coronavirus before Christmas. I have a tight feeling in my chest and cough when speaking, so can’t do live lessons or looms.

I have no pre-existing health conditions. I was told that coronavirus would be a “mild illness” for me and that teachers weren’t at greater risk than the rest of the population. I’m now unable to do my job and facing the prospect of long-term health problems.

My first symptoms were December 15th. It is now January 28th. I am 99% sure I got it during an outbreak at my school. I had to isolate on Christmas Day. I cannot express adequately my sorrow and my rage than I turned up to my job and it made me this unwell.

Anyone who knows me know that I LOVE to talk and sing (badly) and at the moment I cannot do either. I have all these thoughts and opinions that I cannot express. I can’t send reassuring voice notes to my friends or my students. I can’t even socialise with my friends over zoom.

All I want is to be able to interact with my students (who I haven’t seen since December 10th) in live lessons, or be able to go for socially distanced walks with my friends, or talk to my best friend on the phone. Because I’m a teacher who turned up to do their job I can’t.

All of this and I am 28 years old. 28 and never smoked. Young and healthy. Apparently at low risk from the virus. 28 years old. Please. Stay. Home.