I said goodbye to my mum on loudspeaker

‘A week later, Mum could hardly breathe’

Sitting in the pub with my mum, I laughed as she came back from the bar with another bottle of prosecco. It was 13 March this year, and my mum, Kay, and I had met up for a few drinks. To us, it was just a normal Friday night – but, across Europe, the threat of COVID-19 was dominating the headlines. Doctors in northern Italy were warning that mass deaths would soon arrive on UK shores – but, that night in the pub, the virus felt worlds away and Mum was in good spirits,  chatting and laughing away as usual.