My name is Benita Percival, I am 26 years old and I am a scientist at De Montfort University, Leicester. After submitting my PhD thesis, I was ready to undertake my viva voce on the 18th March 2020. I am a netball player and play with two awesome teams, Blaby Netball Club and Turner’s Tornadoes. Never for a second, did I think for I would have any medical problems having been active and healthy all my life.
A week prior to my exam at netball training on Monday 9th March 2020, I noticed I had a shortness of breath and a cough when I was exercising, but only for the first minute or so. I continued to play for the remaining two hours of training. Tuesday 10th March 2020, I experienced a similar cough in the initial few minutes of exercise at the gym and thought maybe I had contracted COVID-19. I decided to spend Wednesday at home. By Thursday, I still was not feeling myself, I could not really put my finger on why and I called my GP. I was asked lots of questions because of the COVID-19 pandemic but I got the opportunity to see a GP, as lockdown was not in place yet. My GP said he would like to rule out a pulmonary embolism and said I needed to go to hospital. I was in denial and I thought this was a bit extreme, but I went to hospital regardless for the tests at Glenfield Hospital in Leicester.