Shock of a positive Covid-19 test: 'I'm not invincible and neither are my friends'

A positive test came as a shocker but having been floored by Covid, the quest for normality and a return to an ordinary existence is fully on the agenda now for Emily Kielthy

Emily Kielthy on her balcony with a take away cocktail.

Fresh pints of Guinness in plastic cups. Damp grass soaking through picnic blankets. Legs dangling over canal bank walks. The sun on our faces, eyelids, warm for a moment, before it disappears again behind a cloud. The familiar, thudding music from the speaker belonging to another group.

“We should get lawn chairs, too,” my friend says, pointing out day drinkers more prepared than us. A solid investment for our outdoor summer. Retail will open fully soon and we add them to our list.