'Coronavirus has far from gone away' ITV Wales correspondent Hannah Thomas on getting a COVID diagnosis
As the Valleys Correspondent for ITV Wales, I've spent much of the past few weeks reporting on the rise in coronavirus cases in parts of the patch I call home.
I was 'live' as Caerphilly became the first county borough in Wales to go into local lockdown.
I reported from Pontypridd as the wearing of face coverings became mandatory in indoor public places, and I was 'live' in Rhondda Cynon Taf as it became the second Welsh local authority to face much tougher restrictions.
But this week I've had to leave giving you the latest developments and breaking news because I discovered that I've caught COVID-19 myself.
I have followed every guideline and safety measure in work to the letter of the law.
ITV Cymru Wales has incredibly strict protocol to follow for everybody's health and wellbeing. And I've abided by that.
Some of our camera operators have told me that I'm a stickler for social distancing and getting it right.
So I absolutely don't think that I could have been infected while covering the national story.
But in truth, I also have no idea where it could have come from!
I have not mixed in social circles and I certainly haven't broken the rules privately.
The Health Minister Vaughan Gething this week identified the positive cases in Merthyr Tydfil as being connected to a major employer in the town, and a pub.
I think it's fairly widely known locally where these places are that he was referring to, and we don't live near them or have any links to them whatsoever.
So how, I hear you ask, did you suspect you had COVID at all?
Well during the middle of last week, my dad and I began feeling as though we were coming down with a cold.
We were shivery and achy in the same way that you do when a heavy cold or flu type-illness seems imminent.
This continued until the weekend when I developed a slightly raised temperature, feeling more tired than usual and we both started having night sweats.
I lost my taste and smell very sharply and suddenly on Sunday night, I couldn't even taste mustard.
At that point, I rang ITV managers and informed them that I absolutely needed to do what was right, and get a test in order to put my mind at rest.
I had the test at 10.15am on Monday morning, and a text message less than 24 hours later to say I was positive.
You really could have blown me down with a feather.
Since that dreaded text, we have spent hours deliberating over where we may have got it from.
My parents have now been tested too, but we haven't had their results back yet.
My little boy goes to a nursery locally, but has not experienced any of our symptoms and thankfully remains in very good spirits.
I am praying that we will all continue to make a full recovery while we isolate.
During the first wave my mother shielded with my son while I worked, and my dad had very limited activity.
The anxiety I felt doing my job and trying to protect them was immense.
I had so many sleepless nights and emotional meltdowns.
Getting a positive result throws up a thousand questions... ’What happens if someone gets worse?’ ‘How will I forgive myself if somehow I’ve passed this to someone else?’
Cases in parts of Wales are increasing rapidly. And my experience goes to show that coronavirus has far from gone away.
So please please think about your actions, and take every measure to safeguard yourselves and others.
Our emergency services and our carers deserve us all to be responsible and ease the pressure growing on them.
It's so important that we all look after one another.