Coronavirus: The most heartwarming social media posts from self-isolation

With preventative measures in place across the world in a bid to stem the spread of Covid-19, it seems like we've never been further apart, physically. However, many have come up with inventive ways to stay connected amid self-isolation and quarantining. From using video calls for jam sessions to visiting family members just to say hello through a pane of glass, these social media posts might just help renew your faith in humanity. Little Rolo, a 7-year-old dachshund from the UK, was so overjoyed to have his family working from home that he caused himself an injury. "My dog has been so happy that everyone is home for quarantine that his tail has stopped working, so we went to the vet and the vet said he had sprained his tail from excessively wagging it," owner Emma Smith posted on Twitter on Friday. Smith added that Rolo was on pain relief and is expected to make a full recovery within a week. "He is super happy and there is now movement [of his tail] from side to side but he is struggling to lift it up in the air," she said on Saturday. With residents at one Welsh care home separated from family amid ongoing social distancing measures, workers decided to take their mind off things with a board game. But this was no ordinary round of Monopoly – instead, care home staff engaged residents in a life-size version of Hungry Hippos, where the objective is to catch as many balls as possible within the animal's latch-operated mouth. Residents at Bryn Celyn Care Home in Maesteg were given baskets attached to poles, and pushed in their wheelchairs towards a pile of plastic balls. "Lots of laughter to lift morale of the team and residents," the clip, which has racked up more than 1.6 million views since Thursday, was captioned. James Gallagher, 9, and his grandfather Paul Browne, 73, might not be able to be in the same room physically, but that hasn't stopped them hanging out. Caroline Gallagher, James's mother, shared a video on Twitter of the two holding an impromptu jam session via a video call, with Browne singing along to Queen's I Want to Break Free on the TV screen as his grandson strums a guitar. "Grandson and grandad want to break free in Dublin," read the caption on the clip, which has garnered more than 34,000 views since Friday. Many families around the world were forced to mark Mother's Day in alternative ways on Sunday, as the elderly and vulnerable were encouraged to self-isolate. Among our favourite tributes was this take on Love Actually 's famous carol-singers scene, when Mark (Andrew Lincoln) declared his love for his friend's wife Juliet (Keira Knightley) using handwritten flash cards on her front doorstep. Pamela Foulis surprised her mother, 83, on her driveway in Edinburgh, Scotland, with a series of messages and a bunch of flowers. "We all wish we could give you a hug and a kiss … but due to the virus, we will just give that a miss … Sorry we aren’t out eating, drinking and having fun …but hopefully by next year this will all be over and done," the cards read. "She was very emotional," Foulis told The Guardian of her mother's reaction. "I was trying not to cry because I knew it was being videoed and I thought if I start I'll set my mum off. She was getting emotional anyway. I was biting my cheeks." The Proclaimers may have pledged to walk 500 miles to be at their loved one's door, but author Irvine Welsh put that vow into practise on Sunday – well, nearly. The Trainspotting writer trudged seven miles (11 kilometres) to his mother's home on Mother's Day to hand-deliver a card, in a bid to avoid public transport. Despite the effort, she had a tongue-in-cheek retort, as Welsh shared in a tweet on the subject. This is more heart-rending than heartwarming, but a perfect example of how families are doing what they can to stay connected. Emma Gall shared a photo of her father meeting his new grandson for the first time from outside a window, as the family practised social distancing. "Baby Faolan is doing great and oblivious to his new fame," added Gall, who is aunt to the newborn, in an update. "My dad is also doing well and is completely oblivious to his new fame. My brother lives about two minutes away from him so he went up to say hello. He knew he couldn’t come in. He is looking forward to holding the baby soon." With much of the world now working from home, many of us may not be dressing quite as smartly as we would for the office. But one cat, however, has taken things up a style notch since its owner has been in self-isolation. "Little bro is working from home and wanted his cat to look more 'professional' when he appeared in the webcam during team (video) meetings so he bought him a set of ties," Twitter user Munya posted last week, alongside a snap of the kitty in a refined striped number. With gyms and fitness clubs in the US shutting doors to stem the virus's spread, one community in Utah took matters into their own hands in a bid to stay in shape. In a video posted by writer Erin Stewart, residents are seen taking part in an aerobics class from their respective properties, all the while maintaining a safe social-distancing space from one another. Due to quarantining measures, Bob Shellard couldn't visit his wife, Nancy, in her Connecticut, US, nursing home to celebrate their anniversary. So, according to NBC, he stood outside her window with a sign that read: "I've loved you 67 years and still do. Happy Anniversary." It's the first anniversary that the Shellards have spent apart, their daughter told the broadcaster. In another tear-jerking visit to a care home, Carly Boyd had to tell her grandfather she was engaged through his window. The North Carolina, US, resident showed her granddad, who is currently under quarantine in the Premier Living and Rehab Centre, her ring through the pane. "He got up to see it better and she put her hand up on the window and he put his hand on the window, and we all just fell apart," Gennie Parnell, who works at the care home, told The Today Show. A pianist in Barcelona, Spain, last week decided to treat his neighbourhood to a rendition of a Celine Dion classic amid lockdown. However, he was surprised when a resident joined in on the saxophone in a melodic duet. _________________ Read more: Coronavirus: what to do if you're worried you have Covid-19 Coronavirus: everything you need to know about Covid-19 in the UAE Handwashing a simple but effective measure against coronavirus _________________

Coronavirus: The most heartwarming social media posts from self-isolation

From inventive Mother's Day celebrations to grandparents meeting newborns for the first time from afar, these posts show how many are coping with quarantine