Cornish Times columnist and former BBC Spotlight presenter Justin Leigh tells us how the coronavirus has come close to home lately....

We’ve had a very unwelcome visitor over the last couple of weeks; COVID has come calling!

Despite our best efforts, including continuing to wear face coverings when shopping and in other enclosed places, the virus found a way in.

Our teenager’s school informed us that some of the children in her class had tested positive and advised us we should take her for a PCR test.

It came back positive. It was a bit of a shock, but I was more surprised how calmly we dealt with it.

Last year I think my reaction would have been very different.

Back then, as I presented BBC Spotlight each evening, we reported on the daily cases and the death toll.

I interviewed families who’d lost loved ones to the virus.

I distinctly remember one woman telling me about the death of her husband just a few days earlier and it moved me to tears. It was all too real and frightening.

But 18 months on there’s almost a weary acceptance that COVID is part and parcel of life.

When it finally reached us we didn’t have the level of fear I thought we would.

Our teenager immediately went into self-isolation in her bedroom, but that wasn’t much different to how she spends her time normally!

My wife and I had a PCR test and were both negative. We’ve been fully jabbed and we thought that had protected us. However, a few days later my wife felt unwell and went for another PCR test.

This time it was positive and she followed the guidance to go into isolation.

I continued to show no symptoms and tested negative, so it fell to me to look after everyone else in their splendid isolation.

It felt like I was running a hotel with room service.

The orders came thick and fast via my mobile phone: “Could I have porridge? I don’t like it too thick and could I have a bit of honey on it, oh and some cinnamon and a few raisins please? And a coffee, but made with whole milk.”

From the other room the call came for: “Greek yoghurt, with some chopped banana, but not too much and a just a little bit of honey because I don’t really like honey.”

At lunchtime it was: “Could I have a bit of ham, chicken, cheese, a few tomatoes, a bit of lettuce and a small blob of mayonnaise, oh and could I have a couple of those rolls, but could you warm them?”

From the other room: “Could I have a panini with a bit of ham in it? And could you warm the panini in the microwave? But not too much because I don’t like it too hot. Oh and could I have some ice cream?”

Then from the other room: “If she is having ice cream could you bring me some as well please?”

You’ll notice it was never anything plain and simple.

To be fair it wasn’t easy for them. As lovely as it sounds to be waited on hand and foot and lounge around in bed all day, I think they both found it tough.

We all take our freedom for granted a bit and perhaps it’s only when it’s taken away that we realise how much we value being able to come and go as we please.

Thankfully both of them suffered relatively minor symptoms throughout and have now been released from quarantine.

We’ll never know for sure if the vaccines minimised the effect COVID had on them or whether it was because they are both relatively fit with no underlying health issues.

And why did I manage to avoid it altogether?

I was exposed to both of them when they must have already been positive, and before their isolation, yet I escaped.

It’s been a bit of a wake up call though.

As I mentioned earlier we thought we were being careful.

We had started to socialise a bit more, but still avoided too many close contacts.

It just shows it only takes one contact.

Thinking back to the stories I reported on last year and the devastating effect COVID had on so many families across the South West, I am very thankful we got off so lightly.

Important as it is to try to get back to normality as much as possible, it seems we can’t afford to drop our guard too much either. Stay safe.

Bye for now.