Nurse with 13 children is self-isolating at family home after positive coronavirus test

Father-of-13 off work as a nurse after testing positive for coronavirus (PA)
Father-of-13 off work as a nurse after testing positive for coronavirus (PA)

A nurse - and father of 13 - is self-isolating after testing positive for coronavirus this week.

Roy Hann will have to stay home in Dundee for seven days, while his wife Emma and ten children still living with them will have to remain in quarantine for two weeks.

Speaking to the BBC, the dad said: “I'm a few days in and it's very mild. I was really surprised when I tested positive.

"I'm around so many Covid patients but I wear protective equipment and we're very proactive with testing in Tayside - so much so we're now listed as a hotspot.

Read more: One in eight relationships under strain due to coronavirus lockdown, research finds

"But we joke in work you're more likely to catch it from the supermarket - I just feel bad for being off."

The family, who are known as one of the largest in Scotland and abide by the Mormon faith, have been “pulling together” since the diagnosis.

Roy, who works as a nurse practitioner at Ninewells Hospital, said that he is “glad” he gets to see his sprawling brood more.

He joked: “There's so many in our house, we joke we're going for herd immunity."

Read more: Millions of British people are batch cooking meals during lockdown

The 50-year-old father has type 2 diabetes but is “confident” about going back to work amid the pandemic.

Roy and Emma - who is a café owner - have children ranging in age from five to 28 years old.

In the past they have got through 50 pints of milk, 21 loaves of bread and five large boxes of cereal each week.

However, social distancing and limits on how many products one household can buy at a time has made food shopping more difficult.

Read more: Parents need to be aware of 'separation anxiety' in children caused by coronavirus lockdown, expert says

“To go to the shop and only buy three of an item means we need to go more often which exposes us more. To me it's quite a daunting situation,” explained Emma.

Speaking to The Sunday Post, she revealed that it had been nice to spend more time at home now her business has had to be put on hold.

The mum said: “It’s a little bit crazy, a little bit chaotic and a little bit scary, but it’s actually nice to get back to being a family.

“Usually everyone is in and out at different times for work and school but now we are all stuck at home, we are getting back to a routine and it’s mad, but in a lot of ways not such a bad thing.

“We’ve had to adjust with introducing rules and a bit more routine and activity, but we’re surviving and working well together.

"It just shows you how strong the family bond can be.”