Mim Kershaw, with her daughter Emma and grandchildren Lily and Maxi, is urging the community to get vaccinated after personally enduring COVID-19. BASS Coast Health board director Mim Kershaw knew all the statistics about COVID 19 – but she really didn’t understand the impact until she caught it herself.
She had heard about the policies, the numbers, the strategy and the toll it has taken on the BCH team who have been front and centre for more than two years.
She heard the BCH team talk about how COVID can affect normally healthy people, but only realised the full impact when she suffered the COVID disease herself.
She had heard about the policies, the numbers, the strategy and the toll it has taken on the BCH team who have been front and centre for more than two years.
She heard the BCH team talk about how COVID can affect normally healthy people, but only realised the full impact when she suffered the COVID disease herself.
Nearly a month after catching the virus, she says she has never felt lingering lethargy and insomnia like that caused by COVID-19.
Without being triple vaxxed, she fears her symptoms would have been far worse. “COVID hit us hard and fast,” Mim said.
Mim and her husband Derrick caught COVID in early March at a cinema near Queenscliff.
“No-one was wearing masks but everyone was seated with two seat gaps between them,” she said.
“We were on a brief holiday and our daughter and two grandchildren were joining us for the Labour Day long weekend.
“A day after we came home my husband became unwell with a sore throat, aches and pains and coughs. He tested positive to COVID and was very unwell. He suffered coughing fits that caused severe chest pain.”
Each day after, another of Mim’s family tested positive to COVID. Mim’s experience shows how quickly COVID can spread within families.
“We feel very guilty that we impacted our family so severely,” she said.
COVID has prevented the family from returning to life as usual; they simply do not have the energy. But they are grateful their vaccines were up to date to lessen the symptoms and impact.
“The message to everyone is get vaccinated, keep wearing masks and stay safe to protect family, community and our precious healthcare personnel,” Mim said.
Without being triple vaxxed, she fears her symptoms would have been far worse. “COVID hit us hard and fast,” Mim said.
Mim and her husband Derrick caught COVID in early March at a cinema near Queenscliff.
“No-one was wearing masks but everyone was seated with two seat gaps between them,” she said.
“We were on a brief holiday and our daughter and two grandchildren were joining us for the Labour Day long weekend.
“A day after we came home my husband became unwell with a sore throat, aches and pains and coughs. He tested positive to COVID and was very unwell. He suffered coughing fits that caused severe chest pain.”
Each day after, another of Mim’s family tested positive to COVID. Mim’s experience shows how quickly COVID can spread within families.
“We feel very guilty that we impacted our family so severely,” she said.
COVID has prevented the family from returning to life as usual; they simply do not have the energy. But they are grateful their vaccines were up to date to lessen the symptoms and impact.
“The message to everyone is get vaccinated, keep wearing masks and stay safe to protect family, community and our precious healthcare personnel,” Mim said.