COVID-19 in the UK- Experience from The Frontline

Start of the pandemicAt the end of February, I was undertaking a mini fellowship on Trans-anal Total Meso-rectal Excision (TaTME) in Switzerland. The number of cases infected with corona virus disease (COVID-19) and deaths were rising exponentially in Italy. As the virus hit the UK, I was still able to complete ‘Non-Technical Skills for Surgeons (NOTSS) for trainees’ course at the deanery office at Fulbourn, Cambridge on the 13th of March 2020. Effect on personal life - self isolationI had operating list on the 17th of March where an 81-year-old male having laparoscopic right hemicolectomy for cancer was listed. This patient was readmitted a week after being discharged from the hospital with collapse and it had become apparent that he acquired COVID-19 in the surgical ward. Fortunately, he recovered from this and remains well till date. The same day, my son had fever with some cough. I needed to self- isolate according to UK government guideline for two weeks as there was no facility for testing whether my son had contracted coronavirus or not. There were a lot of problems in getting food from the supermarket on the way back home as the shelves were empty, online food order was impossible but somehow, we managed with ourfriends delivering food for us at our front door.