Our unsung HEROES

Across the UK, emergency workers are facing the fight against coronavirus, trying to save as many lives as possible, while volunteers do all they can to raise money to help our incredible NHS

- ANNA MATHESON, KARA O'NEILL

‘The outpouring of love has been amazing’

Kate Dennant, 36, is a paramedic with the East of England Ambulance Service.

She lives in Norwich with her partner, Dan, 35. After training as a paramedic for three years, I qualified in December 2019. It’s a busy, stressful job and, no matter how much experience you have, there are always times when it feels overwhelming.

Before the UK went into lockdown the first time around, I don’t think I quite understood the gravity of what was happening. We always use gloves, but in March 2020, when we were told that we needed to wear aprons and masks, the threat of infection suddenly felt real. And then we began to attend more and more patients with suspected COVID-19 symptoms.

It does make you feel anxious, but you have to remember that the patients are nervous as well. Many with other serious conditions don’t want to go into hospital, and we spend a lot of time reassuring them that the hospitals are doing a really amazing job to avoid transmission.

In early April, I came down with a mild fever and a headache. At the time, I wasn’t able to be tested so I had to self-isolate for seven days before I went back to work, and my partner, Dan, also isolated for two weeks. As the weeks and months went by, more colleagues came down with symptoms. Usually, I’ll work 12-hour days, up to five times a week, depending on my shift pattern, but I’m fitting in as many extra shifts as I can, as I want to help out.