An experienced nurse has described what it was like working a 13-hour shift caring for frightened and deeply unwell coronavirus patients.
Helen Ludlow, from Fairwater, Cardiff, has spent the past 15 years working as an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) specialist nurse at University Hospital Llandough (UHL).
Before that she spent time on the frontline in A&E treating for some of the most seriously-ill and injured members of the public.
But on Sunday she took on a shift on the "Covid-19 positive ward" at the hospital - her first experience of ward-based care in 28 years.
The 49-year-old said it was "a privilege" to play her part in the outbreak which has led to dozens of people dying in Wales and many thousands of others becoming unwell.
"It all still feels really surreal; like one big, strange dream that I'm ready to wake up from," she said.
"It was utterly exhausting and it drained every bit of me, but when I'm needed I will have no hesitation in going back again."
Helen, who used to work in A&E at the University Hospital of Wales and Cardiff Royal Infirmary before becoming an IBD specialist, admitted her family were nervous about her taking on the shift.
"But they know me by now. I couldn't just sit at home twiddling my thumbs. I just felt it was really important to play my part," she said.
"I was hearing of colleagues struggling, so I offered my help on the weekends in addition to my normal job during the week."
Upon starting her shift at 7am, Helen said was put with a group of other nurses and healthcare support workers who had all been drafted in from other specialisms.
"None of us knew the ward, but our team were absolutely amazing. Everyone just muddled through and helped each other," she said.
"I was scared, but it was more to do with not being familiar with the surroundings and not wanting to let patients and colleagues down than the virus itself."
Helen said one of the biggest drawbacks of wearing full-body personal protection equipment (PPE) - such as gowns, masks and aprons - was not being able to communicate properly with her patients.
"Normally you smile a lot at people, but your facial expressions are hidden by the PPE. It was so important to verbally communicate as much as possible to the patients, especially those who were scared," she said.
"Most of the time we were reassuring them that they were in safe hands and that we were there for them.
"As we were wearing full PPE we weren't able to have much to drink - and I admit it was a palaver having a wee with a full gown on."
Soon after starting the shift, each staff member on duty was allocated around five patients each to look after on the ward.
Their job was not only to administer medication and look after their emotional and physical wellbeing, but to help them eat as catering staff could not enter.
"It was full care for every patient," said Helen, who was given preparatory Covid-19 training by Cardiff and Vale University Health Board.
"Some weren't particularly symptomatic, but some were. We just went back to basics of nursing care, looking after not just their physical needs, but their emotional and psychological needs - all whilst working under very strange circumstances.
"It was hard on patients as they could not see their families or loved ones. Sadly, the only ones who could were coming towards the end of their life."
Helen said she was able to take "a few small breaks" during the shift - and was treated to the best lunch she'd had on duty for many years.
"A lot of the food in the fridge came from various restaurants who had kindly donated things to us," she said.
"Rather than my cold pot of pasta and gone-off banana which I'd brought in myself, I had a full roast dinner in a takeaway container. It was lovely and really made a real difference."
By the end of her shift, Helen said patient numbers of the ward had grown to 28, with many more expected in the coming days.
As soon as she arrived home, she said she jumped straight in the shower to wash herself thoroughly from head to toe.
"I then just tried to sit in silence to try and unwind. It was an emotional day," she said.
"There is a lot of fear overall, but it's important to remember that the majority of people who have the virus will have mild symptoms."
Helen, who said her own daughter's wedding has had to be postponed due to the outbreak, reassured IBD patients that their services were continuing as normal throughout the crisis.
"IBD services are seen as an 'essential' service as many of our patients are on immunosuppressants. Staff are only entering the Covid-19 wards in their own time," she said.
"Our helplines are going crazy with calls from anxious patients who have flare-ups. The Crohn’s and Colitis UK website is getting regularly updated with advice so it's really helpful."
