Matt Raw, who was among the first Britons repatriated from Wuhan in 2020, reflects on the lasting impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the unexpected consequences he faced.
When Matt Raw was evacuated from Wuhan alongside a number of other Britons facing potential COVID-19 exposure in 2020, he never anticipated the virus's repercussions would fundamentally alter our way of life. Five years after his journey and subsequent two-week quarantine at a facility behind Wirral's Arrowe Park Hospital , Matt shared that there were 'still people who blame me for bringing it into England.
' 'Whenever I tell anybody that we were the first people repatriated from Wuhan, naturally the first joke is: 'Oh, so you brought it here.''Matt, along with his mother and wife Ying, were among the 83 Britons transported from RAF Brize Norton, where their evacuation flight from Wuhan landed in the UK. A convoy of coaches, accompanied by a police escort, then moved the repatriated Brits to the isolation unit at Arrowe Park Hospital, the first quarantine unit in the UK since 1978. 'We had the media driving past on motorbikes, vans, all trying to get a glimpse inside, and I've got a feeling that maybe the windows were blacked out, but we just sat there and waved,' he told BBC Radio Merseyside. He recounted that they were seated 'at least five rows back' from the driver, who lacked any face protection. Matt stated his decision to return to the UK stemmed from his belief that it was in his mother's best interests to leave Wuhan and return to England. Six coaches, led by a police escort, were directed to the rear of the hospital and onto a side road leading to the accommodation block. 'The staff had been well briefed; they made every possible plan to be able to try and cater to all of our needs when we arrived,' Matt explained. Upon arrival, the patients were greeted with a round of applause before being examined by doctors to assess existing medications and potential needs. The repatriated Brits were then moved into a staff accommodation block, cordoned off behind the hospital, sharing apartments with communal kitchens. Matt, who has since relocated back to Wuhan, confided that despite the evident lack of preparedness in England's lockdown measures compared to China's, he and his family took quarantine 'in their stride.' He added: 'If everybody had closed the borders at that moment and if everybody had been quarantined to begin with, maybe this wouldn't have happened. But who's to know?' Those residing in the quarantine accommodation at Arrowe Park Hospital received support from the community, who donated gifts. Janelle Holmes, Chief Executive at Wirral University Teaching Hospital, remarked that staff and partner organizations worked diligently to establish the quarantine site within 48 hours of the guests' arrival. 'This was a hugely challenging operation with exceptional working between health and social care partners to ensure the safety of those in quarantine, staff across the site as well as patients in the hospital was maintained,' she stated. 'We were also learning about this new illness which had yet to become COVID-19 and had not yet been declared a pandemic.'Holmes further commented on the community's warm welcome, noting that the positive messages of support sent to the guests were truly heartwarming. After 14 days, the first patients departed, and a subsequent group of 32 Britons from the Diamond Princess Cruise Liner were housed at the quarantine site. 'Strict infection prevention and control measures were in place, and all guests left with a clean bill of health,' stated Ms. Holmes. 'The response by all organizations involved in supporting the guests was truly outstanding, and this close working set up a partnership framework that continued into the pandemic.
COVID-19 Wuhan Quarantine Repatriation Arrowe Park Hospital Community Support
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