Coronavirus: Pregnant caller tells James O'Brien she is "petrified" for her unborn baby

16 March 2020, 15:08

This pregnant caller, who is a social worker and constantly on home visits, told James O'Brien she is "petrified" because she doesn't know how coronavirus could affect her unborn child.

Miranda is seven months pregnant and a social care worker; she told James that the home visits she goes on to check on vulnerable families "can't stop" during the coronavirus outbreak.

She revealed to James that the people she cares for "aren't too concerned" about coronavirus symptoms because they have "so many huge things going on in their lives" such as their children being taken into care.

James surmised, "The more dysfunction there is in a family the less attention they're likely to be paying to coughs and temperatures."

Miranda pointed out that a number of people she works with are addicted to drugs or alcohol, so if they are under the influence of a substance they are less likely to realise they have symptoms.

She told James, "I'm so worried not really so much for my health because I'm in my 20s and I don't have any underlying health conditions. But I don't know fully how it's going to affect the unborn child I'm carrying."

James pointed out she must be worried about the state of the UK and the NHS when her due date comes round in two months' time.

"Honestly I'm petrified," she said.

James asked Miranda where she is getting her guidance from as a social worker and whether it is the same throughout the UK - or even county.

"Ours is coming from the council but it seems to be very limited... we've just been told make sure you wash your hands, we've been told to call our clients to go into see them. Most of the time the clients don't answer their phone," Miranda said.

James promised Miranda even considering the pandemic, these next few months will be the most exciting of her life.

Boris Johnson or one of his senior ministers will join experts, and scientific data and modelling will also be published at a daily public briefing on coronavirus.

35 people who've tested positive for the infection have now died in the UK. Up to 7.9 million people could require hospital treatment in the UK over the next 12 months.