When Suzanne Baum’s two sons were forced to isolate at the same time in separate parts of the country, the outpourings of support she received helped her get through each day.
Ms Baum, from London, said she had been fearful of sending her two sons, Zack, 19, and Leo, 18, off to university during the pandemic.
And “in some ways, it’s almost like my fear has actually come true and turned into a nightmare,” the mum-of-three said on Tuesday after her two oldest sons tested positive for Covid-19 while away at university.
The youngest of the two, a first year at Leeds University who reported losing his sense of smell and taste, was forced to isolate in halls while experiencing night sweats, a temperature and fatigue.
Leo, who lives with four students, occasionally left his bedroom to prepare food in the kitchen, and being cooped up was particularly challenging, his mum said.
“You can’t really leave your room because the other kids don’t have Covid-19 - so even though they were self-isolating, he didn’t want to be hanging around with them,” she added.
The university's JSoc and Chabad centre stepped in to deliver food to his door - and strangers got in touch offering to help after hearing of his ordeal.
“It actually helped me get through each day,” Leo’s mum said. “It’s the sort of thing I would do if someone was in need.”
The teen, who is now feeling better and is returning to London on Tuesday, has been “amazing” throughout his illness, his mum said, adding that his strength helped her cope.
Over in Birmingham, her eldest, Zack, who initially tested negative for the virus before another test came back positive, has been mostly asymptomatic and is isolating with a group of close friends.
Zack, who has been experiencing fatigue, has been able to lead a relatively normal life, his mum said. “He’s got a lovely house and he lives with his best friends and they love each other.”
“You knew they were able to look out for each other,” she said. “Thank god for that because if he had had anything worse I would have just lost the plot.”
Ms Baum, who relayed her sons’ experiences on Sky News Friday, said the response from the public had been wonderful.
“Random people on Facebook that live in Leeds and saw me on Sky messaged me saying ‘we’re making chicken soup whether you like it or not and we’re leaving outside’.”
“It’s been a hellish time, but I’ve come out of it thinking ‘there’s a lot of mean people in the world but I’ve seen the goodness in people,” she added.
