Dr Duncan Steed, a Christian Navy medic, tells us his coronavirus experience.
The day I came down with the coronavirus was shocking. I started to feel a bit rotten, thought I’d overdone it on my cycle ride. The next morning, I was drenched in sweat; I couldn’t move or bend the top half of my body. My temperature was 38.3C. I realised I had it.
Living on a Royal Navy base, I couldn’t self-isolate. I went into isolation in a separate building with 134 rooms, me and one other guy. I spent six days there. It was horrendous and claustrophobic. Food was delivered in a polystyrene box by someone in full PPE. I couldn’t even taste the food.
I felt myself getting better after three days, but I knew there was still a chance of acute respiratory disorder. My mother was very anxious. Thankfully, I’ve been out of isolation for four days now. It’s been a rich experience for me as a Christian. I was so isolated, but I felt the presence of God. I had my laptop and a Gideon Bible. It was Netflix or Scripture. Through reading Philippians, it was amazing to think Paul was under house arrest while writing to enrich the life of believers. It helped me treasure the living hope we have and it was comforting to sense the presence of God. Normally, I stay so busy; but, essentially, I was in prison like Paul. It gave me a different perspective on God’s presence in my life.
Since I’ve been out of isolation, I’ve been reading Galatians 5, which talks about us being freed for freedom. In my post-Covid freedom, I got on my bike and went out in the sunshine. But I know I’ve really been set free to enjoy Jesus.
