Bad reception and daytime TV: The boredom of country quarantine
It had been a stock-standard work trip until Harry Nolan-Holmes' health took a turn. Driving from Brisbane up to the Wide Bay region last Friday, the public servant and part-time law student had been feeling fine.
The next day, as the number of coronavirus cases climbed in Australia and health authorities urged those feeling ill to come forward, the fever hit.
Harry Nolan-Holmes has been cleared of coronavirus after spending three days in isolation at a regional Queensland health clinic this week.
"[I] couldn't seem to cool down," he told Brisbane Times from his bed in a small-town medical clinic in the region.
But after three days in isolation awaiting test results, the 25-year-old was relieved to learn his illness "just happens to be a chest infection".
Mr Nolan-Holmes left his home about 5am on Friday after being approved for work at towns in the region over the coming days. He began feeling flu-like symptoms on Saturday, which painkillers didn't seem to ease.
Struggling to get out of bed on Sunday, he took himself to a nearby emergency department, despite not recently returning from at-risk countries or having any known contact with Queensland's other confirmed coronavirus cases.
But Mr Nolan-Holmes lives in student accommodation in Ipswich, just west of Brisbane, so he was placed in isolation just before midnight.
"As soon as I told the doctors that … they put me under quarantine and did these tests," he said. "I think I gave everyone at this health centre the biggest shock."
His doctor was "pretty confident" it was not COVID-19 – which has now infected more than 50 people across the country and 95,000 globally – but wanted to rule it out.
Now out of quarantine and recovering from his chest infection – though under observation until Saturday – Mr Nolan-Holmes said he was largely unimpressed by the offerings on daytime television – all '90s movies and Ellen episodes.
Poor phone reception didn't help his boredom either, with limited human contact until he was released from isolation late on Wednesday night.
"I only saw people at meal times and every four hours for condition checks," he said. "It was pretty lonely, [but] I’ve got family visiting tomorrow."
A nurse rattled off the next 24 hours of meal choices. Lunch options included mushroom soup, beef silverside or a salad sandwich, plus fresh fruit and a cup of tea.
For dinner though it had to be the fish and chips. "I haven’t had that for ages," he said.
"The nurses here are very nice," Mr Nolan-Holmes said, praising the "country town hospitality".
"I think that’s where I lucked out ... It’s a forced holiday."
Matt Dennien is a reporter for the Brisbane Times.