Covid Chronicles

Covid-19 has changed everything – not least of which is the essence of ‘home’, and what it means to us. Here are four tales of journeying, leaving, staying, going the distance and finding peace.

- By Tracy Bax

ELIZABETH BAER, 56

Elizabeth grew up in Umhlali and left South Africa 35 years ago to travel. In the UK she married, had two sons and settled in Bath. Her eldest has just started his first job, and the youngest started university this year.

Although she enjoys living in Somerset, Elizabeth came back to South Africa often for family holidays. ‘I love the salty sea air, wide-open space and tropical vegetation of the KZN East Coast,’ she says.

When Covid-19 hit, those trips came to an abrupt stop. Like many of us, Liz found the isolation overwhelming. She kept up with her exercise regime, trying to stay grounded. But when she went for a routine check-up and discovered a lump in her breast, her sense of wellbeing was compromised.

Every visit to her oncologist was made alone. Some of her post-surgery follow-up appointments were done remotely. The knit of sisterhood was now at a distance. Friends left food on the doorstep; people dropped off cards, messaged, called… but there was no human touch. Then Liz contracted pneumonia. She was admitted to a hospital in Bath, where they discovered the radiation had ‘burnt’ one of her lungs and created a space for the virus to enter. She spent frightening nights lying in the dark, battling to breathe.