10 Days In Hotel Quarantine In The UK

So here I am, lying on the bed of my quarantine hotel room in the UK for ten days.

When I left England in March to go back home and visit my parents, the thought of Kenya going on the U.K red list did not cross my mind. How could it? Most African nations have been dealing with the pandemic better than western countries. While the continent is battling with the worst of the South African variant, death rates are low, and there’s no denying that swift action prevented a doomsday event, as witnessed in Italy, Brazil, the USA, the U.K and India. 

Kenya, for example, implemented lockdown as early as 15th March 2020 (2 days after the first case was detected) and expected all incoming passengers to quarantine in a government facility for 14 days. Of course, African lockdowns have not been as severe as those in Europe; the nations could not afford that. Furlough schemes were not a possibility, so they had to keep countries as open as possible. However, travel was banned, restaurants and other social places shut down, and you had to wear a mask the moment you stepped out of your house – something the British government did not implement until July 2020.

It is, of course, not a perfect system. There is no denying that testing and vaccination across the continent are lower than in other places, and some have also had to deal with political leaders that are Covid-19 deniers. Still, when you look at the big picture, you cannot tell me that Africa has not dealt with the pandemic well. 

Many African nations have poor medical infrastructure, but they also have a longstanding experience with infectious diseases, which forced doctors and public health officials to spring into action. Referring to the brunt of the Ebola epidemic, Liberian public health expert Dr Mosoka Fallah told TIME, “we had to learn the hard way. Ebola knocked us over, but now we know not to underestimate anything; we know how important it is to prepare.”

Anyway, despite all this, Kenya was placed on the U.K red list. So, my one-month holiday turned into two as I waited and hoped for a change on 17th May – a change that did not come. So, I was left with one option, to do the 10 day hotel quarantine in the UK. I booked my flights, arranged my hotel quarantine package, took my PCR test and was on my way back. 

Day Zero

The process of getting to the U.K was not that difficult. JKIA was unusually busy, but once I was on the plane, it was only about 90% full, and I was lucky to get to the middle seat free. After a long but comfortable journey, I landed in Amsterdam, where the process of immigration and transfer was nothing but smooth. I got to my gate in less than an hour despite the security and covid document checks and found myself on a plane that was only at 50% capacity, which was great. 

I landed at Birmingham Airport at 10:15am, where everyone was super friendly, and once again, the process was straightforward and calm. I was in my hotel by 12pm. 

Day One

I woke up in what I consider to be a big room with nothing to do but watch Netflix without any guilt and write a few job applications. Breakfast, lunch and dinner arrived on time and was genuinely tasty. I went to bed to the sounds of the guards talking on their radios, and I kind of felt like I was in a movie; it was weird.

Day Two

I took my first self-test on day two. It was a quick process and also the most exciting part of my day. Although I did have some really entertaining neighbours who were constantly arguing in the most dramatic of ways. If day one felt like an action movie, day two was a soap opera. 

Day Three and Four

Luckily for me, the gloom that is British weather prevailed for the entirety of the time I was in hotel quarantine in the UK. It was grey, raining and cold, and I had no desire to go outside, even for a few minutes of fresh air, which we were allowed to do each day. Bad weather definitely makes lockdown easier.

Day Five

Not having to cook and wash more than a spoon definitely makes hotel quarantine easier, but after 5 days of the same food, you do get bored of the menu – especially as a vegetarian where there is always a limited selection. I tried to order UberEats, but that fell through as I was craving pasta or anything that did not resemble bread and rice, but there was nothing nearby. 

Day five, I think, is the hardest day to get through because you are halfway done but not at all close to the finish line. On this day, the struggle of being locked up were creeping up on me but I tried my best to avoid negative emotions by keeping my routine and staying entertained through light comedy.

Day Six and Seven

More than halfway done, day six was when I could see the light at the end of the tunnel. I am not going to lie; other than the boring food, I was actually enjoying quarantine. There’s no other time you can get away with not being productive and not feel guilty, and I took full advantage of that. My days were spent on long phone calls with my family, going down Instagram rabbit holes, reading, watching Netflix and writing. It really was not difficult to pass the time. 

Day Eight

I took my second self-test, but it came back inconclusive, so I had to take another in the evening. By this point, taking Covid tests was beyond normal. 

Day Nine

I spent the day waiting for my test result to come back, but by 9pm, it still hadn’t. So for the next few hours, I was on call with the NHS, and eventually, the track and trace team asked me to just take another the following day. 

Day Ten

I woke earlier than I ever had the past ten days, hoping to find an email in my inbox with a negative result, but did not find one. So, I took what would be my fifth covid test in 2 weeks at 10am on my last day of quarantine, hoping that everything will be fine, and I could leave the next day. I don’t know if it was luck or a minicircle but, 3 hours after I took my fifth test, the result of my fourth test came through. Relief washed over me, and I spent my last few hours in my room, happy and beyond excited to surprise my friends with my arrival. I hadn’t told them that I was in the country, let alone that I was in quarantine. 

Day Eleven

For the first time after landing in England, I awoke to the sun and warm weather, and this was truly the perfect time to be able to leave the hotel. 

My 10 days in hotel quarantine in the UK was a roller coaster experience, and yet, it was oddly relaxing because I thoroughly appreciated the time I spent with myself.