'It was a matter of when I get it, not if' says young Milton Keynes nurse battling coronavirus

Georgia Stratton posted an X-ray on social media showing how the virus affected the lower lobes of her lungs, causing a burning pain every time she breathes in.

"As a frontline worker, it was always a matter of ‘when’ I was going to get it, not ‘if’ I was going to get it, as we are exposed to the virus looking after poorly patients every day. We are exposed to a ‘higher viral load’ than the public are," she said.

"I wanted to share my symptoms with you to raise awareness of what to look out for. It started off as a high temperature, constant headache and feeling exhausted. I thought I was just run down after many shifts in the isolation unit at work.

"Then two days ago I began to develop respiratory symptoms- developing a cough, shortness of breath and my oxygen saturation’s dropped to below 84 per cent on air."

Georgia went into MK A&E and was looked after by her "amazing colleagues".

She said: "I had a chest X-ray which showed that the virus had affected the lower lobes of my lungs. This was a typical sign that I had Covid, but I had to await confirmation from the swab results. I went home with medication to help me feel better and to rest."

Georgia has now received her swab results, which confirm she has COVID-19.

"I am now day six and I honestly can’t tell you how unwell I have felt. As a 22 year old, usually fit and well with no other past medical history- this has hit me hard. You are not invincible, you are not immune and we are all human and can contract this horrible virus. I have only just been able to get out of bed. Every time I breathe in, my lungs burn. The constant temperature, feeling dizzy and cough is unbearable.

"So please, if you take anything away from these stories, please let it be that you STAY AT HOME. I couldn’t stay at home and now I’m having to pay the price. I live at home with my dad who is in a high risk category as he is diabetic and has to use a CPAP machine just to keep breathing at night. You are not stuck at home, you are safe at home.

"It’s such a scary and uncertain time for many people. I am determined to beat this virus as soon as possible so I can get back to the hospital and care for those most in need."