A MAN has appeared in the national press to describe his quarantine ordeal which saw him kept in a sealed room for 28 hours.

Michael Hope told The Guardian he began to feel unwell when he arrived home from Wuhan in China but first thought it was jet lag.

His symptoms began to worsen, and he was now struggling to breathe and was coughing heavily.

The art teacher was unable to get an appointment until he managed to get a telephone consultation and told his GP he had been unable to leave his home since he had got back from China which is when his surreal ordeal started.

“I told them I had flu-like symptoms and that I had travelled back from Wuhan,” he said. “At first the GP told me to come to the surgery and said we could both wear masks and I could stand outside the door – but then things quickly changed and I was told to stay at home, not to leave, and I would be visited instead.”

Mr Hope was told to remain indoors in two calls from Public Health England and medics at Newcastle’s infectious diseases unit in the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI).

“They told me that they were preparing a room for me in isolation and an ambulance would soon be at the house. They said not to be frightened of the people and that they would be wearing masks. I couldn’t quite believe it – I just thought it would be OK for me to grab a taxi with a scarf around my face,” he said.

Mr hope said later whilst he was in his home he was greeted by a scene from a sci-fi film. 

Medics, in white suits with helmets and visors, escorted him into an ambulance before attaching a nebuliser to his face.

He was then escorted to the RVI.

"They put this nebuliser on me and I was sat in the back of this ambulance with the ‘spacemen’ – and steam coming out of my face as we zoomed through the city,” he said.

On arrival at the RVI, Hope was greeted by another medic in virus protective clothing before being taken to an air-locked isolation unit where he would meet a consultant. He would remain quarantined in the room for the next 28 hours with samples of his blood, urine and phlegm being taken.

“They would come in through one sealed door and leave through another. Every time they left they had to dispose of their clothing. It was a typical hospital room but I was in complete isolation. This guy came in with a chocolate mousse but he was in the full gear – it was so strange,” he said.

However, Hope was discharged  the next night after test results showed that he was suffering from flu. 

The RVI said they were unable to comment.