Worksop man and friends have been stuck isolating in Italian hotel for six weeks after testing positive for coronavirus

Quinn Paczesny aged 20 from Worksop has spent the last six weeks of his life in a hotel room in Italy after testing positive for Covid-19.

He and two other young men named Rhys James and Will Castle travelled to the country to work as teachers to ease the education system there after a tough couple of months due to the virus.

Quinn said: “I’m not someone who has ever dealt with any severe mental health issues but this situation is draining.

“We’ve joked that it feels like a prison but worse because at least prisoners are allowed outside for yard time.

“We can’t leave our rooms and there is the threat of fines and arrest if we go as far as the corridor.”

Quinn arrived in Italy on July 5 and spent four weeks teaching before he developed any symptoms of Covid-19.

“Because we had been teaching all day every day for so long we didn’t think that the cough we had was a sign of the virus,” he said.

“But it didn’t matter we knew we needed to get tested just in case.”

The hospital in Florence then gave them all ECGs, a swab test, and an X-ray.

The tests came back within six hours and they were positive for all three young men and the hospital told them they would not be allowed to leave.

Quinn said: “We got the news at 4.30am and we’re told that it would mean a two-week isolation which we could do in our apartment in Florence.

“But two hours later they came back and said that was no longer possible and members of the Civil Guard went to collect our belongings and brought them back to us.

“We have now been detained for six weeks and have no idea when we will be allowed to go back to the UK.”

The young men have been told that they will not be allowed to come back until they get a double negative test which means they need to test negative once and then 24 hours later test negative again.

However, all three have only tested positive since their detainment began on August 17.

“I have had six tests so far all come back positive,” he said.

“But we have been told by health professionals both in Italy and the UK that the reason for this is the dead Covid-19 cells in our system.

“We have not had any symptoms for three days after the first time we were tested.

“One of the men has never had any symptoms at all but is still testing positive.”

A great source of frustration for Quinn is that in the UK if someone tests positive they isolate for 10 days and if there are no more symptoms they can return to society.

The conditions in the EUR Hotel where Quinn is staying are less than luxurious.

“The food is dire,” he said.

“We get watery rice, a slice of turkey if we're lucky, lots of pasta and sometimes mozzarella cheese.”

At night the men have to push the hotel furniture up against the doors of their rooms as they do not lock.

This has led to items being stolen and they’re also fearful of other Covid-19 patients being able to enter their rooms.

Access to healthcare whilst at the hotel has not been easy to receive.

Quinn said: “Rhys dislocated his arm and it took them five days to get him to a hospital to have it put back in place.

“Then a further two days to give him pain killers.

“I myself have an ear infection which they have not been able to give me antibiotics for.”

Due to the isolation, the young men have developed a daily routine to keep their minds and bodies active.

Twice a day they facetime one another whilst eating their meals if the hotel WiFi allows.

They have developed workout routines in their rooms as well as taking up Yoga and meditation.

Quinn said: “Because there is no definitive timeline for us leaving it’s quite frustrating.

“There are people here that have been here for three months and the thought that we might be in the same boat is awful.

“We have needed to find things that bring us a moment of peace and allow us to unwind from the stress.”

Quinn says that the friendship and bond that has been created between himself, Will, and Reece will be lifelong.

Will is from Wales and Rhys lives in Sussex, the three men did not know each other before they met on the teaching program.

Quinn is not feeling optimistic about being sent home anytime soon.

He said: “There has been a total lack of communication and interest with the Foreign Office and the Embassy.

“All we want to do is come home.

“I’m supposed to start my third year of teacher training in seven days back in the UK but I doubt that I will be back by then.

“Our lives are on hold.”

Quinn, Will, and Rhys were all due to be tested again on September 21, but no doctor has visited to administer the swab.

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