‘Worse than a cold’: Mum describes moment she knew 10yo had Covid

A mum has revealed the moment she knew her son was coming down with Covid-19 — just as he was supposed to finally get his vaccine shot.

By pure chance, Marissa happened to spot a post on Facebook about where to find rapid antigen tests (RATS) in her local area last week.

It mentioned that a nearby service station had some in stock – so wanting to be prepared – she jumped straight in the car and managed to secure a five-pack of tests for her family.

“It cost $100 – we are fortunate as we can afford to spend the money, but I cannot imagine how a family who is living week-to-week could comfortably factor in that additional spending,” the Sydney mum-of-three tells Kidspot.

‘My son and I just tested positive for Covid’

At the time, Marissa, who is vaccinated, had no idea that she would end up needing those tests so soon.

But that all changed on Saturday night when her 10-year-old son Daniel began complaining that he was feeling unwell and hot.

Marissa and her 10 year old son Daniel are both extremely sick with Covid. Picture: Supplied

“His fever hit 39.9 … he was really lethargic and quiet, which is unusual for my sporty, ADHD boy,” she describes.

“The minute I checked Daniel’s temp, I was pretty sure it was Covid.”

Marissa’s suspicions were soon confirmed when both her and Daniel’s rapid antigen tests came back positive – although the rest of their family, so far – has tested negative.

“I was immediately sad – I am a pretty affectionate mum so I’m sad that I have to spend a whole week in isolation not snuggling with my other two kids,” she said.

“My 7-year-old actually cried because ‘this means no cuddles’.”

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‘My sons were supposed to get their Covid vaccine’

The forced cuddle ban aside, Marissa was also incredibly frustrated that she and her son had somehow been exposed to the virus.

For the past several weeks, the family had been laying low at home – and had only seen a close circle of family and friends outdoors.

Marissa and Daniel both tested positive for Covid and are isolating. Picture: Supplied

“We have really tried to keep the kids safe … we have no idea how we got it.”

To make matters worse, Marissa was also supposed to take Daniel and his younger brother to get their first Covid vaccine on Tuesday – an appointment she managed to secure weeks ago.

“We are pretty persistent, so I rang every medical centre in the area as soon as the booking were open. It wasn’t too hard to get in, but we had to ring about 10 places … I just wish I’d been able to vaccinate them earlier.”

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‘We have no underlying health issues – Covid is worse than a cold’

But now Daniel and Jared will have to wait for at least a week to get their vaccine – assuming they are able to get an appointment.

In the meantime, the little boy and his mum are stuck isolating in the master bedroom of their home – where they are both too sick to do anything.

“Daniel and I are both pretty crook … both of us have had fevers, aches, chills, headache and a sore throat,” Marissa explains.

Marissa's 10-year-old son began feeling unwell on Saturday night. Picture: Supplied

“I also have a cough which is unpleasant – I cannot stand up for long without feeling like I am going to pass out.”

Dan has also “barely gotten out of bed” with Marissa adding that it was “really weird and scary” to see her normally-healthy son “so weak”.

“We are both healthy and fit, with no underlying health issues … it is definitely worse than a cold!”

She advises to “be prepared” as “delivery services are being smashed, so we won’t be able to get bread, milk, or fresh produce while we are in isolation.

“We are fortunate as our freezer and pantry were full. Take the symptoms seriously and keep a stash of tests if you can afford to.”

This article originally appeared on Kidspot and was reproduced with permission