Zainab Fahim, 53, has worked as a nurse in the Emirates since 1991 but the Covid-19 pandemic threw new challenges at her. Her son Mohammed Attia, 25, daughter Maryam Attia, 22, and husband Yasser Attia, encouraged her through the pandemic when she felt exhausted.

"They told me 'You are strong! You can do it'," said Ms Fahim, who is from Cairo.

"It was difficult at the beginning of the pandemic. I had to work continuously through the week.

"It was a challenge but my husband was supportive and encouraged me. My family shared the responsibility of cleaning up, doing laundry and washing dishes."
"The thing I was most afraid of was bringing the infection home," she said.

At home Ms Fahim used separate rooms to protect her family. The satisfaction of helping patients motivated Ms Fahim, who worked as an infectious diseases nurse at the Preventive Medicine centre in Umm Al Quwain.

"I wanted to help others because that made me feel very happy," she said. "When someone appreciated my work and prayed for me, it was an amazing feeling."

She said she was looking forward to surprises from her children on Mother's Day, because they shower her with gifts each year on this occasion.