Woman wears sanitized inflatable hippo costume to hug mom living in retirement home

STEPHENS CITY, Virginia - A retirement home in Virginia allowed one family to get creative in order to pay grandma a visit during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nick Bolerjack posted a video on his Twitter sharing the heartwarming embrace between his mother-in-law and his grandmother-in-law after having to be separated during quarantine.

RELATED: Family invents ‘hug glove’ to safely embrace grandma on Mother’s Day

The retirement home allowed the two to embrace, as long as Bolerjack’s mother-in-law wore a sanitized inflatable hippo costume.

“Mom,” Bolerjack’s mother-in-law can be heard exclaiming in the video, to which his grandmother-in-law responds,

“This is so wonderful!”

The costume worn in the video is similar to the popular inflatable T-Rex suits seen on social media.

However fun the idea may seem, it is worth noting that those who decide to visit older family members during the pandemic despite the risks should do so with extreme caution and with the understanding that a costume is not a substitute for proper personal protective equipment, according to health officials.

RELATED: Grandma’s reaction to surprise KFC delivery from granddaughter is everything

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises that a mask that fits closely to the mouth, has multiple layers, and is easy to wash is the best form of protection, aside from social distancing, which remains the most effective way to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

“While CDC appreciates the creativity that some Americans have shown in protecting against COVID-19,” Kate Grusich, a CDC spokeswoman, told the Washington Post, “an inflatable dinosaur suit will not provide more protection than a cloth face covering.”

Storyful contributed to this story.