Locked down: ‘I understand now why Tom Hanks needed Wilson on ‘Castaway’

For the past 17 days, Amy Shelver, a former Eastern Cape resident who now works for the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, has been self-isolating in her flat.

The Swiss government instituted lockdown measures last week.

Shelver has taken ill, and is taking every precaution to stay as healthy as she can in a country where more than 11,000 coronavirus cases have been reported.

Getting tested for the virus is not an option for the 36-year-old, however, as Switzerland is only testing the most severe cases.

She speaks to John Harvey.

Why are you in self-isolation?

Seventeen days ago, I started to feel ill at work.

I had a headache, but had just got new glasses, so didn’t think anything of it.

At that point life in Geneva was eerily normal, though the tension was palpable as the crisis in northern Italy, which borders Switzerland, deepened.

Nevertheless, I was sick, so I decided that I would go home and see how I felt in the morning.

That night the full body aches began.

I started to do the self-talking you do to deal with a sense of impending doom.

But I knew something was up. I do not normally get the flu. In fact, the last time I had something resembling the flu was about eight or so years ago.

As a South African who grew up at the height of HIV, responsibility and knowing your status had been drilled into me.

So, I stepped into my bedroom, luckily a room with a view out over some Swiss greenery and the “Balcony of Geneva”, the Salève, a mountain of the French Prealps.

I have not been out, except for toilet breaks, for 17 days.

What are the hardest things you have had to overcome while isolated?

I have always thought I was strong-minded and willed. But my weakest moment was on day nine.

My sister shared a message on our family WhatsApp group showcasing a piece of fantastic journalism by the BBC from within a hospital in northern Italy.

In it were tens of people in lying on hospital beds, wrapped in futuristic ventilators, overwhelmed and almost stunned doctors servicing overcrowded wards.

It was devastating to witness, but the feeling that this could be me if things didn’t improve induced so much fear and anxiety I just started crying. I think I cried for about five hours.

That was a big moment. I think staying at home, confined, can be hard, but when you are sick you cannot use all the tools that are in place for people who normally work from home, such as exercise and cooking meals.

I cannot breathe too well and the coughing rules out any elegant attempts at yoga or activity.

I guess I would say I am lonely, and all emotion can be amplified. I understand now why Tom Hanks needed Wilson (volleyball) on Castaway.

What have you been doing to pass the time?

I have been working from home and have quite a few calls which break up the day.

Needless to say, I make active use of the mute function for my coughing fits.

The window for sunshine is also short, from 9am to 11am ... that’s when I get me some precious Vitamin D.

I’ve become a fan of three daily briefings: SA, the UK and the US.

Mealtimes are exciting moments, as are excursions to the bathroom. I overbrush my teeth nowadays just for the trip.

In the evenings, I flip between the news channels, calls with friends and binge-watching shows on Netflix.

How important are friends and family at this time, with you being abroad?

I would not have been able to pull through without digital connects and the help of my family and friends.

Even when I went dark, they kept pushing through, kept calling.

My poor mom was my symptom diary keeper. She’s a nurse.

But I also only had that support when I asked for it. You must tell people what you are experiencing and ask for help.

What is your view of how the situation is being handled back home in SA?

I feel so proud to be a South African — even at a distance.

Cyril [Ramaphosa] is in a difficult position but has shown his mettle as a true leader.

The choices are not easy either way, but a choice had to be made. But good leadership is about making good decisions.

South Africans are resilient creatures. We will make a plan on the other side of this.

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