COVID DIARIES: I cannot wait for my vaccine - everyone should get it

As part of an ongoing diary for the #BeatCovidNE campaign, she reveals how she felt about the new lockdown, the emergence of the new Coronavirus strain and how she was coping with the restrictions.

Here she shares her thoughts on how we can all come together and beat this virus by sticking to the rules.

I feel anxious if I’m honest - I miss my days with my girlfriends but I’m so grateful that support bubbles are still in place.

Being able to see my daughter and grandchildren who live with her is my lifeline.

Although any news of a lockdown is not good news, I believe it’s so important that we knuckle down to prevent it lasting longer than it needs to. I will follow the rules and stick to them religiously like I have been doing.

Yes, it feels like an eternity but there’s light at the end of this terrible tunnel - we can’t give up now. The news that on average one in 50 people in England now have Covid-19 must be our wake-up call. This shows just how fast the new strain of the virus is spreading.

It’s incredibly easy to catch now - more than it ever has been before – and I am being very careful. I’ll only go shopping for food and essentials once a week and I ensure that I wear my mask, sanitise my hands and wipe down all food and packaging once I’m home. It’s become part of my routine.

Lockdown is tough and I know we’ve all lived under some form of lockdown for nearly a year now. Thank goodness for video technology, it really is such a wonderful thing.

Hopefully, this is the last leg so sticking to the rules, washing hands, keeping a two-metre distance and wearing a mask are vital.

You’re never too old to take up a hobby and, already a keen sewer and knitter, I have decided to have a go at quilting. It’s a lot to get my head around but I am looking forward to the challenge.

That’s the thing about lockdown, especially a winter one when the days are cold, dark and it’s forever raining, it’s important to keep your mind and body active.

The fact that 1 in 3 people who have Covid don’t have symptoms terrifies me if I’m honest. Someone might feel absolutely fine but they don’t know they are carriers.

This is why the measures exist. Social distancing, hand washing, mask wearing - they’re in place to protect you.

It’s been nearly a year since the pandemic started and mental health is a huge worry especially, I think, for young people. You know what teenagers are like – it’s either agony or ecstasy in terms of emotions, but Covid-19 has prevented them from living a normal life. Everything from school or college to hanging out at the beach or cinema with friends – it just can’t happen right now.

My grandchildren are at university and they’re struggling but I always tell them to speak to me or their mam about their feelings and talk through their emotions. That’s the best way. In terms of me personally, if I’m not having a good day, I just channel my thoughts to stop dwelling on the negatives that surround me and focus on the positives as much as possible.

One positive of course is the vaccine which I am extremely happy about. I know a few people who have received it already, including three neighbours. I cannot wait for mine. Unless you can’t have the vaccine for medical reasons, I think everyone should get it.

Until the majority of people are vaccinated, the key to beating the virus is testing and self-isolating to stop the spread. If you get a negative test then you’ve only lost a few minutes of your time. That’s nothing compared to being positive and infecting someone who could then lose their life.

Please, let’s follow the rules and save lives.”