Cuddling in COVID: 'Hug bubble' lets seniors feel the magic of touch

Marie-Paule and Marie-Josephe interact with their mother Colette, 97 years old, behind a removable plastic sheet inside a bubble structure which allows families to give hugs without risk of contamination or transmission of COVID-19, installed in the refectory of the Residence du Carre d'Or retirement home at Jeumont Hospital, as the coronavirus disease outbreak continues in France, December 4, 2020. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol

JEUMONT, France (Reuters) - Since the COVID-19 outbreak, French care home resident Colette Dupas's contact with her daughters has been limited to talking via video call, or through a window.

Now the 97-year-old has been able to feel their touch, thanks to an inflatable tunnel and two plastic sleeves.