Waikato Business News April/May 2021

WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS April/May 2021
19
The high personal toll of Covid
Hamilton lawyer Rob Davies has been
in self-isolation and working remotely in
Sweden after losing family members to
Covid and contracting the disease himself.
He writes about his experience.
On 17 March this year, I
learned that my father
and step-mother had
been admitted to hospital
in Stockholm, Sweden with
Covid-19. Our family’s worst
nightmare had been realised.
My parents were both in their
70s with underlying health
conditions. They had managed
to ward off the virus for
12 months, and contracted it
within days of being eligible
to receive the first dose of the
vaccine.
In just over one week, I was
on a plane to Sweden. On the
day I left, news from the other
side of the world was a mix
of positive and negative. My
father’s condition seemed to
have stabilised, although my
step-mother was still battling
and needed the support of a
ventilator. I knew I needed to
get there, but exchanging the
comparative safety of New
Zealand for the uncertainty of
Sweden’s experiment with herd
immunity was one of the hardest
decisions I had ever made.
Within 24 hours of arriving
in Sweden, both my father
and step-mother had passed
away. Dad was 78 and my stepmother
was 72. The virus had
compounded their underlying
conditions and robbed them of
the years they otherwise had
left. The smallest of mercies
was that I had managed to see
both before it happened. That
didn’t make it any easier, but it
at least made the journey worth
it.
There was undoubtedly
something poetic about both
setting sail for Valhalla on the
same day, but it didn’t make
the reality any easier. Unwinding
their lives and their almost
30-year relationship proved
both a welcome distraction and
a constant reminder of what
was gone. Silver linings were
limited, but I had the support
of family and friends, and perhaps
most significantly, my
employer.
This experience has
reminded me how lucky I am to
work for a firm that puts people
first. When I first explained my
situation, the first thing my boss
told me is that they would find
a way to ensure I could leave
for the other side of the world
without the added worry of
what that would mean for my
income. His responsiveness
in this regard, along with his
compassion, made a massive
difference.
But it wasn’t just my boss.
Rob Davies.
The entire firm wrapped around
and supported me. My colleagues
and the other partners
all did what they needed to, so
that I could do what I needed to.
This meant taking over active
files, thereby increasing their
own workloads, and making
sure my family in New Zealand
felt loved and supported
too. This helped me to focus on
what was important, and made
tough decisions a fraction easier.
By late April, and three days
before my anticipated return,
I took a pre-departure Covid
test. I had been feeling tired
but put that down to the stress
of packing up an apartment and
mourning the loss of two people
incredibly close to me. Instead,
I learned I’d contracted Covid
myself, forcing a seven-day
period of self-isolation, and
causing significant concern for
me and those closest to me.
The person I caught Covid
from became very ill herself.
She suffered a fever which
lasted almost two weeks, complemented
by headaches, muscle
pain, and fatigue. She also
unwittingly gave Covid to
four other people close to her,
and they became similarly ill.
I spent days waiting for it to
become my turn, all the while
re-arranging flights and managing
the practicalities of extending
my stay. Home had never
felt so far away.
Against the odds, my symptoms
remained mild, although
Covid did a number on my
kidneys, causing quite a bit of
discomfort. It was a glimmer of
positivity in what had been one
of the hardest experiences of
my life. I spent days in isolation
with only myself for company,
and used work as a welcome
distraction when my brain
wasn’t fogged up with Covid.
My ability to work remotely
was assisted by the technology
my employer uses. This
enabled me to log in to the same
virtual desktop I use while at
work. I had access to the same
programs and technology that
I would if I were in the office.
Much of this was road tested
during New Zealand’s first
lockdown, and I was a beneficiary
of many of the subsequent
improvements.
What surprised me the most
was Sweden’s response to the
pandemic. Sweden is a country
that I have been fortunate
enough to visit many times
previously. My step-mother
worked for Scandinavian Airlines,
which made air travel
accessible to me as I was growing
up. I placed Sweden on a
pedestal: a model of progressive
compliance.
However, the country’s
response to the pandemic conflicted
with that of its neighbours.
The approach was one of
making only recommendations
to people. This uncertain start
led to a number of preventable
deaths among the most vulnerable,
particularly the elderly.
Despite that, Sweden persisted
with recommendations in lieu
of stricter interventions. Around
14,000 Swedes have died since
the pandemic began.
I avoided public transport,
but on the occasions I was
forced to take it, I was disappointed
to be among a minority
of mask wearers. Although
people seemed to respect social
distancing, you would still
encounter those who looked
unwell, coughing and sneezing.
Sweden’s traditionally cooperative
approach seemed to have
been replaced by a fierce individualism
which I struggled
to reconcile with my earlier
impressions of the country.
I am grateful for the time I
have spent in Sweden and for
what the country has given me
in the past. The doctors and
nurses who cared for my parents
are heroes in my eyes. They
were all kind, compassionate,
and supremely professional.
But my lasting impressions are
that their jobs have been made
so much more difficult by the
decisions of policy makers as
well as the selfishness of individuals.
I hope to leave Sweden
on 14 May, provided my next
Covid test returns an all-important
negative result. I cannot
wait to return home. Going
hard and early was the right call
in our circumstances, which I
understand are unique among
the world’s nations. Nevertheless,
I am grateful to our Government
and appreciative that,
as Kiwis, we worked together.
Covid is a scary virus, more virulent
than the flu. The only way
to beat it is to work as one.
• Rob Davies is a Senior
Associate at Hamilton law
firm Norris Ward McKinnon,
in the firm's Commercial
Disputes and
Employment team.