A woman from Grimbsy has shared what it was like when a medic in a hazmat suit came to her home to test her for coronavirus after she had been to Thailand.
She was told to self-isolate due to concerns she may have contracted the potentially deadly virus while on holiday.
Then a group of medics turned up at hers house, including one in the full protective gear, to test her for the virus.
The woman, who asked not to be identified, initially rang up the doctors last Tuesday because she had back pain.
When she began coughing while still on the phone, that sparked fear she may have coronavirus, reports Grimsby Live .
Just hours later, someone in a hazmat suit was standing in her living room, testing to see if she needed to remain in isolation.
Then she was taken to Castle Hill Hospital in Cottingham, which deals with cases of coronavirus in the Humber area.
"On Tuesday I rang my GP to get an appointment to have my back looked at, because I hurt it getting into a taxi on my way to the airport on Thailand," the woman explained.
"The practice was aware that I had been on holiday to Thailand, and while I was on the phone to them I coughed and they started asking me about the coronavirus.
"I said that it had been very smoggy in Bangkok and this had caused my chest to feel a bit hoarse, but other than that I felt fine.
"I was then told that because I had come home from Thailand, I wouldn't be allowed to the GP surgery and that I would have to ring 111."
Following these instructions, she rang 111 and explained what was happening but the conversation soon turned to her Thailand holiday and whether she felt sick.
The woman explained that, while the 111 operator was trying to help her with the back pain, she also told her she'd have to self-isolate and be tested for the virus.
When the medic in the hazmat suit turned up, the woman said he was "very helpful" and "aware that his suit was very off putting".
The woman continued: "He explained to my partner and me that even though I didn't have symptoms of the flu or shortness of breath, there are people who could be infected with the coronavirus who don't have symptoms but could affect others. So the NHS has to be cautious.
"We then started to move onto my back pain, and then he became a bit more concerned, because he could tell there was a problem. I also have a history of back pain.
"He spent a few minutes trying to find out where I was going to be taken, as Grimsby hospital would be able to look at my back, but Castle Hill has the coronavirus unit. Apparently both hospitals couldn't agree on what to do."
Eventually, after being refused entry to the Diana Princess of Wales Hospital, she was taken to Castle Hill, where staff seemed under a lot of pressure.
"When they were testing me it seemed like they just wanted to do get through it and move on," she said.
"They swabbed my mouth, which was fine, but then the person shoved a swab right up my nose and even the paramedic recoiled because it went so far up my nose. It actually ended up cutting me.
"I then thought that I would be able to have my back looked at, but was told that I would have to go home and wait for my test results before anyone would look at my back."
She said she heard some nurses getting annoyed that her back pain was being pushed to one side.
Waiting at home, it was eventually confirmed that the woman didn't have coronavirus. Only then could she get help for her back.
The woman added: "I can understand the panic around this virus, but there were more cases in the UK than Thailand on Tuesday, so why have such a panic about me?"
