When you're pregnant with your first baby, you're keenly aware that nothing is – and probably will never again be – "normal". But when it happens during a pandemic, any notions of normality become as elusive as the microscopic coronavirus itself.
And yet, despite spending most of my pregnancy hiding indoors in Dubai as Covid-19 radically altered the way societies function all over the world, I was fortunate that it was fairly smooth sailing for me. I felt – and still feel – lucky that we are in the UAE, safer than we would have been in many other places.
I worked from home, no longer had to commute to Abu Dhabi while heavily pregnant, spent plenty of time with my husband before we became three, and tucked into far more home-cooked meals than I’d had in years.
From the third trimester through to the text-book hospital birth (which, thankfully, both my husband and doula were allowed to attend), there were very few dramas going on in my little bubble.
Even my elderly parents, who are based in the UK, were able to make it out to the UAE 10 days after their first grandchild was born in July.
Now, however, it is a different story.
It all started a couple of weeks ago, when my husband got a tickle in his throat. After taking a routine PCR test in order to travel for work to Saudi Arabia, it turned out he had Covid-19.
The thing is, my parents came back for Christmas, just before new travel restrictions were introduced, and we extended their visa – rather ironically – to keep them safe from the UK variant. After doing a test, we realised my dad has it, too.
It's unsettling to know the thing you've been living in fear of for nearly a year has finally found a way to infect your loved ones
Not only have we now exposed my 74-year-old mother and 78-year-old father to the virus, but also my 6-month-old daughter, who mere days ago came down with a scorching fever.
While my mother and I previously tested negative, another quick trip to the Festival City HealthHub fast-track screening centre revealed Mum also has it.
I’m the only one left standing (and wondering when it's going to hit me, or whether or not I’ve already had it and didn’t realise).
Thankfully, no one is bedridden, and our paediatrician assures us that babies bounce back much quicker than adults, but it’s hard not to worry and feel guilty.
How strange this virus is has become painfully apparent, too, as everyone around me has experienced extremely different symptoms.
My dad, who has an underlying heart condition, has felt nothing. Among the others we’ve had sore throats, headaches, coughs, the loss of smell and taste, and general malaise. My daughter is the only one who’s had a fever, which, thanks to a spot of baby-friendly Nurofen, has already mostly subsided. She’s also had a little cough, been fairly lethargic, whimpers often and keeps spitting out her milk.
The worst part is not always knowing what she feels. There are ways to tell when she’s tired or has a tummy ache, but can she taste or smell anything? Does she know she’s sick? She’s usually such a smiley baby, but her sad little face these past few days has been heartbreaking.
There have been sleepless nights and plenty of tears (mostly from baby and me, the one healthy resident in the house), concerns over childcare as we've put our trusty nanny on paid leave. Cancelled flights and incoming mandatory hotel quarantine in the UK has only added another layer of worry.
It's unsettling to know the thing you've been living in fear of for nearly a year has finally found a way to infect your loved ones, and there's no way of knowing what's coming or what you can do about it.
We weren't exactly living the high life, but perhaps we were guilty of feeling too safe
But we have also found silver linings to the situation.
For one, the people I love most will now have a little immunity, and my parents have been able to access medical care here far quicker than they might have done in the UK, as the NHS strains under the weight of cases. We got a video consult with a cardiologist for my dad within four hours of calling the hospital here.
I don’t know if this story has a happy ending yet, and we are clueless as to how Covid-19 managed to sneak into our house, but it’s certainly been a wake-up call. It’s not as though we felt immune to the situation; we’ve diligently donned our masks and sanitised every time we touched something on the odd supermarket trip and doctor’s appointment. We weren’t exactly living the high life, but perhaps we were guilty of feeling too safe.
That’s the thing with this virus – it’s unpredictable. And while a spot of unpredictability may have been OK in my “normal”, pre-Covid, pre-pregnancy, pre-baby life, that’s most definitely not the case as a first-time mum living through a pandemic.
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Need to know
Unlike other mobile wallets and payment apps, a unique feature of eWallet is that there is no need to have a bank account, credit or debit card to do digital payments.
Customers only need a valid Emirates ID and a working UAE mobile number to register for eWallet account.
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What drives subscription retailing?
Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.
The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.
The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.
The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.
UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.
That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.
Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.
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Financial considerations before buying a property
Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.
“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says.
Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.
Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier.
The 12
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
Results:
6.30pm: Maiden | US$45,000 (Dirt) | 1,400 metres
Winner: Tabarak, Royston Ffrench (jockey), Rashed Bouresly (trainer)
7.05pm: Handicap | $175,000 (Turf) | 3,200m
Winner: Dubhe, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
7.40pm: UAE 2000 Guineas Group 3 | $250,000 (D) | 1,600m
Winner: Estihdaaf, Christophe Soumillon, Saeed bin Suroor
8.15pm: Handicap | $135,000 (T) | 1,800m
Winner: Nordic Lights, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
8.50pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 Group 2 | $450,000 (D) | 1,900m
Winner: North America, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
9.25pm: Handicap | $175,000 (T) | 1,200m
Winner: Mazzini, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass
10pm: Handicap | $135,000 (T) | 1,400m.
Winner: Mubtasim, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
FA CUP FINAL
Manchester City 6
(D Silva 26', Sterling 38', 81', 87', De Bruyne 61', Jesus 68')
Watford 0
Man of the match: Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)
Your Guide to the Home
- Level 1 has a valet service if you choose not to park in the basement level. This level houses all the kitchenware, including covetable brand French Bull, along with a wide array of outdoor furnishings, lamps and lighting solutions, textiles like curtains, towels, cushions and bedding, and plenty of other home accessories.
- Level 2 features curated inspiration zones and solutions for bedrooms, living rooms and dining spaces. This is also where you’d go to customise your sofas and beds, and pick and choose from more than a dozen mattress options.
- Level 3 features The Home’s “man cave” set-up and a display of industrial and rustic furnishings. This level also has a mother’s room, a play area for children with staff to watch over the kids, furniture for nurseries and children’s rooms, and the store’s design studio.
The specs: 2018 Bentley Bentayga V8
Price, base: Dh853,226
Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 550hp @ 6,000pm
Torque: 770Nm @ 1,960rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 11.4L / 100km
Greatest Royal Rumble results
John Cena pinned Triple H in a singles match
Cedric Alexander retained the WWE Cruiserweight title against Kalisto
Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt win the Raw Tag Team titles against Cesaro and Sheamus
Jeff Hardy retained the United States title against Jinder Mahal
Bludgeon Brothers retain the SmackDown Tag Team titles against the Usos
Seth Rollins retains the Intercontinental title against The Miz, Finn Balor and Samoa Joe
AJ Styles remains WWE World Heavyweight champion after he and Shinsuke Nakamura are both counted out
The Undertaker beats Rusev in a casket match
Brock Lesnar retains the WWE Universal title against Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
Braun Strowman won the 50-man Royal Rumble by eliminating Big Cass last
FIRST TEST SCORES
England 458
South Africa 361 & 119 (36.4 overs)
England won by 211 runs and lead series 1-0
Player of the match: Moeen Ali (England)
The biog
Family: wife, four children, 11 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren
Reads: Newspapers, historical, religious books and biographies
Education: High school in Thatta, a city now in Pakistan
Regrets: Not completing college in Karachi when universities were shut down following protests by freedom fighters for the British to quit India
Happiness: Work on creative ideas, you will also need ideals to make people happy
Frankenstein in Baghdad
Ahmed Saadawi
Penguin Press
'Spies in Disguise'
Director: Nick Bruno and Troy Quane
Stars: Will Smith, Tom Holland, Karen Gillan and Roshida Jones
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
